Alcaraz gives Spain Davis Cup delight as Australia, US and Germany also qualify

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning against France's Ugo Humbert during the group stage men's singles match between France and Spain of the Davis Cup tennis tournament at the Fuente San Luis Sports Hall in Valencia. (AFP)
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Updated 14 September 2024
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Alcaraz gives Spain Davis Cup delight as Australia, US and Germany also qualify

  • Spain and Australia with two successes each have booked their ticket for the Final 8 in Malaga at the end of November
  • The US booked their ticket to final eight series with a 3-0 win over Slovakia in Zuhai earlier Friday, with Germany also advancing

PARIS: France crashed out of the Davis Cup Friday when world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz beat Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-3 in the second rubber in Valencia with a convincing display.

Earlier, the defeat of Arthur Fils to Roberto Bautista 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 put France 1-0 down and Humbert was unable to revive the French against a solid Alcaraz in front of a home crowd.

Since the reform of the Davis Cup in 2019, France has never managed to get beyond the group stage.

Spain and Australia with two successes each have booked their ticket for the Final 8 in Malaga at the end of November and will compete for the head of this group B on Sunday.

“It was the goal since the beginning of the week, to qualify for Malaga,” Alcqaraz said.

“I was really, really focused, I was on a really high level of tennis and it’s one of the best matches that I’ve played this year.

“Seeing my last month I needed this kind of match and I’m really happy with my performance today.”

The US booked their ticket to final eight series with a 3-0 win over Slovakia in Zuhai earlier Friday, with Germany also advancing.

Mackenzie McDonald beat Lukas Klein 6-4, 6-3 in the opening singles rubber before Brandon Nakashima eased past Jozef Kovalik 6-3, 6-3 to give the Americans an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram then teamed up in the doubles to battle past Klein and Norbert Gombos 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/4), 10-1.

Bob Bryan’s US team, playing without top players including US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz and semifinalist Frances Tiafoe, also beat Chile 3-0 earlier this week.

The US victory meant Group C rivals Germany also qualified for the Final 8 which will be held in Malaga in Nov. 19-24.

Germany and the US will go head-to-head for top spot in their final group game on Saturday which will determine their seeding for Malaga.

Sixteen countries are competing in the group stage finals in four cities with the top two from each group advancing to the eight-team final.

“It means a lot,” said 40th-ranked Nakashima.

“To be able to be in this position right now, to be clinching that spot, it’s very important for us.”

The US, 32-times tournament winners, most recently in 2007, failed to progress out of the group stage finals last year after defeats to the Netherlands and Finland.

McDonald, ranked 149, has been returning from an injury-plagued season.

“I’m really proud of myself for performing well today and putting the team on the board,” he said.


Swiatek faces Sabalenka as Boisson eyes ‘dream’ French Open final

Updated 05 June 2025
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Swiatek faces Sabalenka as Boisson eyes ‘dream’ French Open final

  • The biggest rivalry in the current women’s game will get its first instalment since last August in Cincinnati
  • Swiatek holds an 8-4 winning record against Sabalenka, but came into the tournament under a cloud after a disappointing clay-court season

PARIS: Iga Swiatek puts her bid for a fourth straight French Open title on the line against world number one Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday, before surprise French hero Lois Boisson aims to continue her fairytale run against Coco Gauff in the second semifinal.

The biggest rivalry in the current women’s game will get its first instalment since last August in Cincinnati when the reigning Roland Garros champion goes up against the top seed.

It will be only their second ever meeting at a Grand Slam tournament and their first since a three-set win for Swiatek in the 2022 US Open semifinals en route to the title.

Swiatek holds an 8-4 winning record against Sabalenka, but came into the tournament under a cloud after a disappointing clay-court season and without even a final appearance since lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen 12 months ago.

But the Pole is on a remarkable 26-match winning streak in the French Open and could become the first woman to win four straight titles at Roland Garros since Suzanne Lenglen 102 years ago.

“I don’t know if she elevates my game,” she said of Sabalenka.

“But for sure our rivalry is pushing both of us, I think, but it’s not only about the level of tennis. It’s about like everything, how we work, and how professional we are.”

The pair practiced together in the build-up to the tournament, and Sabalenka credits their improving relationship off-court to a dance video they did for TikTok at last year’s WTA Finals.

Sabalenka has only beaten Swiatek once on clay, in the 2023 Madrid Open final.

Their most memorable clash was the 2024 final in the Spanish capital when Swiatek saved three championship points and won in a deciding-set tie-break.

“We’ve had a lot of great battles in the past,” Sabalenka said after her quarter-final win over Zheng Qinwen.

“I’m super excited to go out there and to fight and to do everything I need to get the win.”

Sabalenka has powered through the draw so far without dropping a set.

Swiatek has also been in dominant form, with the exception a battling comeback victory over Elena Rybakina in the fourth round, a performance she said she “needed.”

World number 361 Boisson is still dreaming of an improbable title on her Grand Slam debut after a memorable quarter-final triumph over rising Russian star Mirra Andreeva.

The 22-year-old Boisson missed out on making her first Roland Garros appearance last year after suffering a knee injury shortly before the tournament, but has more than made up for lost time with a stunning run through the draw.

She had never played a top-50 opponent before this week, but has now beaten two in the top 10 in third-ranked Jessica Pegula and world number six Andreeva to set up her last-four clash with Gauff.

“I think every kid who plays tennis has the dream to win a Slam. More for French players to win Roland Garros, for sure,” said Boisson.

“So, yeah, it’s a dream. For sure I will go for the dream, because my dream is to win it, not to be in the semifinal.”

Andreeva was overwhelmed by the atmosphere on Court Philippe Chatrier as she lost the last six games of her quarter-final against Boisson.

But Gauff has a plan to try and block out the noise from the partisan home crowd.

“I think there are two ways I have done it in the past. Either, A: just pretend they’re cheering for you, and B: just using it and not letting that get to you,” she said after defeating Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the last eight.

The American is bidding to reach her second French Open final after a demoralizing defeat by Swiatek in the 2022 showpiece.

Gauff has since won the US Open, in 2023, and climbed to second in the world.

The 21-year-old will be hoping her added experience can help her finally clinch the title at a tournament in which she has reached at least the quarter-finals in five successive years.


Novak Djokovic beats Alexander Zverev to set up a semifinal showdown with Jannik Sinner

Updated 05 June 2025
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Novak Djokovic beats Alexander Zverev to set up a semifinal showdown with Jannik Sinner

  • Djokovic proved too much for No. 3 seed Zverev, a man who’s a decade younger and was last year’s runner-up at Roland-Garros, and set up a semifinal against No. 1 Jannik Sinner

PARIS: A crucial moment arrived more than 2 1/2 hours into Novak Djokovic’s 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 French Open quarterfinal victory over Alexander Zverev. It was the fourth set, and Djokovic led, but Zverev was in possession of a break point and a chance to get back into Wednesday’s match.
They engaged in a 41-stroke exchange, the longest of a buggy and breezy night, and Djokovic came out on top, smacking a forehand winner. He stayed in place afterward, breathing heavily, with hands on hips, scanning the standing ovation from thousands of Court Philippe-Chatrier spectators.
Djokovic might be 38 now. He might have slogged through a pair of three-match losing skids this season and slid to No. 6 in the rankings. What hasn’t changed is Djokovic’s determination or his ability to be his best on big stages — and now he’s two wins from a record 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic proved too much for No. 3 seed Zverev, a man who’s a decade younger and was last year’s runner-up at Roland-Garros, and set up a semifinal against No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
Earlier Wednesday, Sinner continued his overpowering run through the bracket by dismissing Alexander Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0. Sinner not only hasn’t dropped a set so far, but he has ceded a total of only 36 games through five matches.
So Friday will bring a tantalizing showdown between someone many consider the top player in tennis history, Djokovic, and someone who is at the top of the men’s game at the moment, Sinner. Djokovic and Sinner are tied 4-4 in their head-to-head series, but Sinner has won the last three matchups.
No one has spent more weeks at No. 1 in the rankings than Djokovic. No one has won more major championships or reached more major semifinals than his total that now stands at 51 after becoming the second-oldest man to get that far in Paris.
Sinner, 23, has won three of the past five Grand Slam titles. That includes last year’s US Open and this year’s Australian Open, so his unbeaten streak at majors is now at 19 matches. He’s also won his last 26 sets at those events.
“He’s playing fast. He’s playing smart,” Bublik said. “He’s in another dimension with all the aspects of the game.”
Also an apt description for Djokovic, who repeatedly used drop shots to great effect against Zverev.
As for Sinner, no one other than Carlos Alcaraz has been able to beat him in his last 48 matches, a stretch that dates to last August. Sinner is 46-2 in that span, with both defeats coming against the French Open’s defending champion.
And as it happens, No. 2 Alcaraz is still around. He will meet No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti in Friday’s other semifinal.
There were some distractions in Djokovic vs. Zverev, including a bunch of tiny flying insects that the players kept trying to swat away and a back-and-forth between the chair umpire and some fans in the fourth set.
Needless to say, Djokovic handled it all much better. He also was superior in pretty much every way with the ball in play.
He was broken in the very first game — and then not again.
He broke Zverev four times — no small feat against a guy who had been broken a total of five times in his five previous matches.
And Djokovic’s 29 unforced errors were far fewer than the 44 for Zverev.
It took Djokovic five match points to wrap this one up, and when he did, his face morphed from concentration to as wide a smile as can be.
The last time these two played each other was in the Australian Open semifinals in January, and Djokovic had to quit after one set because of an injured hamstring. The last time Djokovic played at the French Open, 12 months ago, he had to withdraw before the quarterfinals because he tore the meniscus in his right knee and needed surgery.
He sure looks in good shape at the moment.


Boisson ‘going for the dream’ at French Open after injury nightmare

Updated 04 June 2025
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Boisson ‘going for the dream’ at French Open after injury nightmare

  • Boisson swept past world number six Mirra Andreeva in a thrilling two-set battle 7-6 (8/6), 6-3
  • The 22-year-old had already eliminated US third seed Jessica Pegula two days ago

PARIS: Lois Boisson has “resilience” tattooed above her right elbow and the 361st-ranked Frenchwoman demonstrated she had plenty as she stormed into semifinals of the French Open on Wednesday.

Boisson swept past world number six Mirra Andreeva in a thrilling two-set battle 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 in just over two hours on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The 22-year-old had already eliminated US third seed Jessica Pegula two days ago.


A wildcard entry, Boisson is making her Grand Slam debut in Paris after seriously injuring her left knee a week before Roland Garros 12 months ago.

On Wednesday, the French national anthem rang out in the crowd as Boisson and 18-year-old Andreeva warmed up.

“It gave me the chill, I have to say,” said Boisson. “But it was extraordinary to have the crowd supporting me so much.

“Even though sometimes it’s a bit raucous and there is a lot of noise between two points.”

Boisson had trailed 3-1 and 5-3 in the first set but saved set points to turn the match in her favor.

She kept her cool as last year’s semifinalist Andreeva unraveled from a 3-0 lead in the second set to win the last six games.

A frustrated Andreeva received a warning from the umpire for blasting the ball into the crowd. She was then booed when she argued with the umpire over a line call.

“Obviously I expected it,” said the Russian of the partisan home crowd.

“I think that in the first set I managed it pretty well.. but obviously with nerves and with pressure, it became a little harder.”

Andreeva struggled with the pressure, hitting nine double-faults in total, and made 43 unforced errors to Boisson’s 27.

She conceded the final game to love as Boisson wrapped up victory on her first match point.

The player from Dijon advances to meet US world number two Coco Gauff, who battled back from a set down to beat Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-1.

“For sure I will go for the dream, because my dream is to win it, not to be in the semifinal,” warned Boisson.

“My routine won’t change, it’s been the same since the start of the tournament,” she added of her preparation for Thursday’s semifinal.

Former US Open winner Gauff, 21, said she would just pretend the home crowd was “cheering for me.”

“Just using it and not letting that get to you.”

Boisson becomes the lowest-ranked major semifinalist in the last 40 years.

Winner of the Saint Malo tournament on the secondary circuit in 2024, she was ranked 152nd before her injury.

“(It) was the toughest moment of my life,” said Boisson, who had only won one match on the main circuit before Roland Garros — at the modest WTA 250 event in Rouen on clay in April.

Her earnings this year have been 18,470 euros ($21,100) for a career-total 130,000 euros ($148,000).

Reaching the singles semifinals at Roland Garros will earn her a paycheck of 690,000 euros.

The winner receives 2.55 million euros and the runner-up half that.

“She’s probably a better player than her ranking right now,” said Andreeva.

“I think that if she keeps playing like this, freely and not being scared or afraid... I think everyone can win.

“It’s going to be pretty interesting to watch. I think if maybe she believes in herself enough, maybe she can.”

Boisson is the third player to reach the semifinals in her Grand Slam main-draw debut since 1980, following Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati who also did it at Roland Garros in 1989 and 1990.

She becomes the first French semifinalist at her home Grand Slam event since Marion Bartoli in 2011 — and the first in the Open Era to do it as a wildcard.


Swiatek puts away Svitolina to make last four

Updated 03 June 2025
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Swiatek puts away Svitolina to make last four

  • Swiatek will next play world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a mouth-watering semifinal

PARIS: Four-time champion Iga Swiatek of Poland swept aside Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-1 7-5 on a windy day at the French Open on Tuesday to earn a semifinal spot and stay in the hunt for a record-breaking victory in Paris

The 24-year-old, who accepted a one-month doping ban late last year, is looking to become the first woman in the professional era since 1968 to win four consecutive titles in Paris.

Although she failed to win a title going into the French Open this season, she looks to have rediscovered her remarkable claycourt form in Paris.

She will next play world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a mouth-watering semifinal after the Belarusian beat China’s Zheng Qinwen in straight sets.

“I should have had better intensity in the beginning of the second set,” Swiatek said in a post-match interview. “When I saw my intensity go low I got it high again. I am happy I did it at the end of the set.

“Against Aryna it is always a challenge. She has a game for every surface. I have to do the work, be brave with my shots and go for it. She is having a great season.”

“I will not lie. It will be a tough match but am happy for the challenge,” she said.

The Pole is now on a 26-match winning streak at the French Open, following her title three-peat between 2022-24 to add to her 2020 crown.

Swiatek, playing in an initially sparsely filled Philipp Chatrier stadium, broke the Ukrainian, in her fifth quarterfinal appearance in Paris, early and kept her on the back foot with her heavy top-spin forehand and rapid changes in pace and direction.

Svitolina desperately tried to hang on but she could not match her opponent’s power in rallies, sending a forehand into the net to hand her another break as Swiatek bagged the set on her serve in the next game.

With her husband, French tennis player Gael Monfils, watching from the stands, Svitolina ignited hope among the crowd when she moved 5-4 up in the second set.

Three unforced forehand errors in the next game, however, proved too many and Swiatek raced through the next three games to seal victory, firing three aces in the final game including one on match point.


Djokovic, Sinner into French Open quarters as No.361 Boisson springs upset

Updated 03 June 2025
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Djokovic, Sinner into French Open quarters as No.361 Boisson springs upset

  • The 38-year-old Djokovic dusted aside Britain’s Cameron Norrie in three sets, his 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 victory on Court Philippe Chatrier

PARIS: Novak Djokovic sailed into a record 19th French Open quarter-final on Monday, while world number one Jannik Sinner dismantled Andrey Rublev in straight sets.

World number 361 Lois Boisson knocked out women’s third seed Jessica Pegula to become the first home quarter-finalist at Roland Garros since 2017.

The 38-year-old Djokovic dusted aside Britain’s Cameron Norrie in three sets, his 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 victory on Court Philippe Chatrier bringing up the Serbian’s 100th match win at the French Open.

His tally of 19 quarter-final appearances at Roland Garros is the record for a single Grand Slam tournament, surpassing Roger Federer’s 18 Wimbledon quarter-finals.

But Djokovic, a three-time French Open champion, is focused on much bigger goals as he chases a new outright record of 25 Grand Slam titles this week.

“I feel good. I know I can play better. But 12 sets played, 12 sets won, it’s been solid so far,” said Djokovic, who will likely face a much more difficult test against world number three Alexander Zverev.

“It’s great, but victory number 101 would be better. I’m very honored... But I need to continue now.”

Djokovic has not played anyone ranked higher than 73rd through the first four rounds. Zverev is last year’s runner-up and advanced when Djokovic retired injured from their last meeting in the Australian Open semifinals in January.

Zverev moved into his seventh Roland Garros quarter-final when Dutch opponent Tallon Griekspoor quit with an abdominal problem while trailing 6-4, 3-0.

The German is still hunting a first Grand Slam title. He lost the 2024 final to Carlos Alcaraz and then finished runner-up to Sinner in Melbourne.

“Novak Djokovic will never be a (dark) horse. For me, Carlos is the favorite,” said Zverev. “Then I would say the next three in line are Jannik, myself, and Novak, right? I still believe that.”

World number one Sinner fired a warning shot to his title rivals with a ruthless 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Russian 17th seed Rublev in the night session.

Sinner, who returned from a three-month doping ban last month at the Italian Open, will face the unseeded Alexander Bublik for a place in the last four.

Italy’s Sinner is targeting a third consecutive Grand Slam title after lifting the US Open trophy last year and winning his second successive Australian Open in January.

“Today was a very good performance but we try to keep going and see how it goes,” said the three-time major champion.

Bublik took down his second top-10 rival in Paris as the rejuvenated Kazakh came from a set behind to defeat British fifth seed Jack Draper 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Bublik, ranked 62nd, is into his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

 

Boisson sent shockwaves through Roland Garros as she kept the French flag flying with an improbable 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over 2024 US Open runner-up Pegula, to join Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva in the last eight.

Boisson, 22, came from a set down against last year’s US Open runner-up to prolong her dream run on her Grand Slam debut.

She is the first French singles quarter-finalist in Paris since Caroline Garica and Kristina Mladenovic made it to the same stage eight years ago. Mary Pierce was the tournament’s last French champion in 2000.

“I really don’t know what to say,” said Boisson, who was roared on by the home fans on Court Philippe Chatrier.

“To play on this court with such an atmosphere was incredible. I was confident before the match and knew I could do it even if she was really strong.”

Boisson missed last year’s French Open after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee a week before it started.

She is the lowest-ranked woman to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final since former top-20 player Kaia Kanepi at the 2017 US Open. Kanepi had dropped to 418th at the time.

Boisson goes on to face 18-year-old Russian rising star Andreeva on Wednesday for a place in the semifinals.

Sixth seed Andreeva moved through in straight sets as she cut short an attempted fightback by Daria Kasatkina to advance 6-3, 7-5.

Andreeva is through to her second major quarter-final, having reached the last four at Roland Garros 12 months ago when she knocked out Aryna Sabalenka.

World number two Gauff brushed Russian 20th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova aside 6-0, 7-5 to step up her pursuit of a first Roland Garros crown, and second Grand Slam title.

Former US Open champion Gauff will play reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys in an all-American quarter-final.