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Post by Admin on Sept 28, 2020 5:45:51 GMT
Roland Garros got underway in the chill and damp of Paris in Autumn on Sunday, with Azarenka walking off court complaining it was “too cold” to play. The French Open, which was pushed back from its traditional May-June slot due to the coronavirus crisis, began in steady drizzle and temperatures struggling to reach 10 degrees. It was all too much for Azarenka, 31, who left the almost deserted Court Suzanne Lenglen after just three games. “I don’t see the point of sitting on the court when it's eight degrees,” fumed the two-time major winner. On court she complained: “We are sitting like ducks. It’s too cold, it's eight degrees, I live in Florida. “This is getting a little ridiculous. I'm not waiting,” she said before storming off to seek shelter. She added: “You guys are joking right? You don't see what's happening? You guys are not playing, so you have no idea. “It's raining for like 15 minutes and we're playing, who cares? You can't hold your racquet because it's so wet.” She returned to complete a 6-1, 6-2 win, playing in black leggings and a tracksuit top. “Does it increase the risk of players getting injured? Absolutely, I think that it does,” she added ahead of a week in which the cold, wet conditions are forecast to continue. That echoed fears expressed by 12-time champion Rafael Nadal, who said the conditions combined with a new heavier ball could cause elbow and shoulder problems for players. Azarenka regained her composure when the match resumed, even if she did complete it wearing clothes more associated with being at the snow. “I am glad to get it finished so I can watch the others struggle in this weather and rain,” said Azarenka. However American great Jim Courier wasn’t particularly impressed with Azarenka’s actions in commentary. “I’d like them to have a better argument than: ‘I live in a place where it’s warm’,” the former World No.1 said.
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Post by Admin on Sept 28, 2020 20:08:03 GMT
After Rafael Nadal expressed his displeasure towards the new Wilson tennis balls at the French Open 2020, he found support from a number of players. This included the likes of Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem. Now, another top player, Alexander Zverev has completely disregarded Nadal’s claims.
Zverev won his first-round match on Sunday night against Thiem’s countryman Dennis Novak. When asked about his thoughts on how the new tennis balls are playing, Zverev went on to say that the former Babolat tennis balls were the worst ever.
“The balls now are way better than before. The Babolat balls were the worst of all time,” Zverev said after his match. He added that the tennis balls feel different to each player, but he feels that they fit clay courts very well.
“It’s difficult, isn’t it? It was cold. Some of those balls we were using you wouldn’t give to a dog to chew,” Evans expressed. “I think the balls are the biggest thing. Maybe they got it a little wrong with the balls. It’s tough to get that ball to go anywhere.”
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Post by Admin on Sept 29, 2020 5:30:53 GMT
On a rather unusual start to things at Roland Garros — postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, Day 1 of the 2020 French Open arrived in September instead of May, with only 1,000 spectators allowed instead of more than 30,000 as Covid-19 cases rise in France. Following the coronavirus restrictions in Paris, masked people hurried along the deserted alleys, looking for a cover from the rain and heavy winds. Most shops were closed and the grounds were eerily quiet as anticipated by tennis fan Francoise Houllier. "It's true we also come here for the atmosphere and now, I think it's going to be lacking the usual vibe but that's that. I'm hoping it won't rain too much today." Organisers have repeatedly had to scale back their ambitions as virus cases have climbed. They had been planning to have 11,500 spectators per day three weeks ago. That was then scaled back to 5,000 per day and now to only 1,000. Social distancing and hand-washing are being enforced by a "Sanitary Brigade" of four young women wearing white vests throughout the grounds to remind people of the anti-Covid measures. The 2020 French Open lasts until October 11.
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Post by Admin on Sept 29, 2020 21:09:55 GMT
Rising star Katarina Zavatska would never have believed her French Open campaign would have taken this nightmarish turn after disaster struck in her three-set match with Kiki Berterns. The twists and turns at the French Open in heavy and wet conditions continued on Day Two when the 20-year-old Ukrainian was left shattered in the third set when the strings on her tennis racquet snapped. But unbelievably, it was the third string that had snapped in just 10 minutes of play and the rest of Zavatska’s racquet were being re-strung. This left the 20-year-old in tears and without a racket in a crucial part of the match. But in a remarkable moment, her coach handed her his racquet despite not being her usual on-court weapon. Unfortunately, the incident appeared to take a toll on the young Ukrainian as she failed to win another game and Bertens raced to a 2-6, 6-2, 6-0. Fans stunned after Zavatska runs out of racquet Fans were surprised at the unfortunate incident and couldn’t recall a time where a player had run out of racquet at a Grand Slam.
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Post by Admin on Sept 30, 2020 6:03:36 GMT
Sofia Kenin's clay-court prep for Roland Garros? A 6-0, 6-0 loss to Victoria Azarenka, 12 days ago in Rome. It was the first time the American had been double-bageled at any level. On Tuesday in Paris, Kenin got back on the winning track—though it wasn't easy. Her opponent, No. 125-ranked Russian Liudmila Samsonova, had never won a match at a Grand Slam. But with her powerful groundstrokes she gave the No. 6-ranked Kenin all kinds of trouble throughout the one-hour, 58-minute battle. After Kenin won three games in a row from 4-3 down to take the opening set, 6-4, Samsonova jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the second—weathering a lengthy rain delay along the way—and eventually closed it out, 6-3. She broke in the first game of the third and held to go up 2-0 in the decider. But the more experienced Kenin won six of the last seven games to sneak it out, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Samsonova finished the match with more winners than unforced errors, 38 to 35, while Kenin was in the negatives, 26 to 34. But the American was just too solid at the tail end of the first and third sets. "She's obviously really tough. She played really well," Kenin said in her on-court interview. "I just started putting the ball in the court and fighting for every point. When things weren't going my way, I just tried to find a way to win. She was playing really tough, and really aggressive. "I just wanted to fight for every point, and that's about it."
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