ATP
Online bodyguard for players
Is it Roland Garros circa 2023 or Roland Garros circa 1984?
Some will wonder after French Open officials announced last week they will be censoring any criticism of players during this year’s event.
Roland Garros has teamed up with Bodyguard, an application to protect players against what it has termed cyberbullying, which will also book any criticism of matches.
Bullying is one thing and has no place in society, but genuine criticism of professional millionaire athletes for their on-court failures?
The Bodyguard software, which players can download, will, it is claimed, be used to protect all of the official FFT and Roland-Garros public media accounts, and the accounts of players competing in the Grand Slam.
Players will scan the QR code supplied by Bodyguard to connect their social media accounts to the system, which, according to a Roland Garros press release will book any ‘unkind comments’.
So who will do the checking? Fair or unfair? Critics or bullying?
A team of linguists have apparently created word patterns that enable the system to be updated in real time according to what is posted on social media.
Then AI will moderate the comments in real time, analysing every comment in under 200 milliseconds.
The platforms monitored are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok and Discord.
George Orwell has well and truly arrived at Roland Garros.
DOMINIC Thiem has Rafa Nadal to thank for his place at the French Open.
Thiem, who failed to get a wildcard at the tournament, has taken up the Spaniard’s place in the main draw.
But what has happened to the Austrian since he suffered a wrist injury in June 2021?
He has struggled to find any form since returning to the court in March last year.
Clay may be his best bet – he has won 10 of his 17 career titles on the surface, but losses at a couple of Challengr events recently show he is far from the player he was.
Now ranked a lowly No. 96, he made it to consecutive French Open finals in 2018 and 2019, losing to Rafael Nadal both times.
MARK Philippoussis has called time on a coaching role with Stefanos Tsitsipas, calling it the end of “a great ride”, but offering no reason for the split.
Philippoussis joined Tsitsipas’s father Apostolos in the coaches box last year and helped guide the Greek player to the Australian Open final, where he was beaten by Novak Djokovic.
Philippoussis, 46, wrote on Instagram last week that the partnership was over.
“Thanks for the opportunity of being a part of your team,” Philippoussis said.
“It was a great ride and experience, and I’m proud of what we achieved together in the short amount of time we had.
“I wish you health, happiness and success for your future, on and off the court!”
GARBINE Muguruza announced last week she was back on the tour, entering Wimbledon, bit there was even better news from the Spanish star as she got engaged to boyfriend Arthur Borges.
Muguruza, 29, who has been dating Borges since 2021, took a time form tennis in January.
And the wedding? “We would like it to be next year, in the summer, near the beach and in Spain, because it is the place that most unites us,” Muguruza told iHola!
AFTER all the poverty claims following Covid shutdowns, British tennis benefited by £43 million thanks to Wimbledon last year.
The Lawn Tennis Association’s accounts, published last week, showed on top of the £43m, they also received a £5m grant to support other grass court events.
LTA’s research shows tennis is booming in Britain, with a claimed 48 per cent participation increase among 16-34-year-olds.
The LTA has 326 employees, whose total costs are £22.7 million. And the chief executive Scott Lloyd was paid a handsome £572,000.
Other tennis playing nations will look on enviously.
SERENA Williams has used a YouTube post to tell her five-year-old daughter Olympia that she was going to be a big sister.
Williams, who revealed her pregnancy at the Met Gala earlier this month, called the YouTube clip “Olympia’s Surprise” as her daughter had yet to be informed of her pregnancy, but was worried that mommy was putting on weight, even calling her “fat”.
Serena was joined by husband Alexis in their video as she told her the news.
“Olympia does not know right now that I am pregnant, but she did call me fat, and then she got really like stressed out,” Serena said.
Williams then tried to imitate her daughter’s “Mommy, you’re fat” comment before telling her she was to be a big sister.
FRENCH player Hugo Gaston has been hit with a $144,000 fine after he was caught throwing a ball out of his pocket during his recent Madrid Open match against Borna Coric.
Nothing new perhaps, as the Frenchman was previously warned for the same action last year.
Gaston, who was beaten 6-3 6-3 by Coric in the second round, was seen taking a ball out of his pocket and throwing it on the floor while his opponent was going in for a winner to take the set.
WTF moment:
Andy Murray made fun of compatriot Liam Broady for his 2023 French Open attire.
Broady was competing in the Roland Garros qualifiers last week. He made a good comeback after losing the first set to secure victory over French opponent Arthur Gea, winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a match that lasted well over two hours.
After successfully winning that first round, Broady took to social media to share a picture of himself in the official Bidi Badu outfit for this year’s Roland Garros.
After Broady asked his followers for their opinions on his attire, Murray couldn’t resist a dig. he former World No. 1 questioned how he could wear such a an outfit at the French Open, along with several laughing emojis.
“Did you actually wear that at Roland Garros? 😂 😂 fair play mate that’s a shocker,” Murray commented.
Photo: Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
AND finally…
Our tips for the winners’ rostrum in Paris?
We are happy to endorse John McEnroe’s selection in the men’s event, Carlos Alcaraz.
“I would say Alcaraz would be the slight favourite to win this,” McEnroe said.
“Alcaraz has a lot of pressure now because he’s just such an unbelievable breath of fresh air.
“He’s so electric, he’s got such a great personality that people want him to win.
And in the women’s singles?
So much harder to predict because there has been no on for two outright favourites for a while in women’s tennis.
Iga Światek is up there, but there are injury doubts and there’s a chasing pack that includes Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and maybe Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula.
Alexander Zverev cooled the jets of a teenaged tearaway on Tuesday, schooling Spaniard Rafael Jodar 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to power to his fifth career semi-final at the French Open.
The world No. 3 German finished runner-up in Paris two years ago and is still seeking his first trophy at one of the majors.
Zverev has been a consistent presence at the business end of the event here, figuring iin five of the past six semis.
But the achievement doesn’t amount to much for the seed, who has his eye on the big prize.
“I want to keep going. I don’t really care so much about a semi-final,” he said. “I want to win all the matches in front of me.
“Today was a tough test against a good player – that’s it for now.”
The 29-year-old who becomes the ninth man to play five Paris semi-finals, got away slowly as the 19-year-old Jodar showed his intentions with an early break..
But the seed began turning the tables on his young opponent while trailing 5-2 in the opening set after dropping serve in the eight-minute opening game.
Jodar’s unravelling began as he served for the first set leading 5-4 but was unable to close it out.
From then on, Zverev was in control.
The German won the opener in a tiebreaker and dominated the second to claim that chapter also.
In the third, he broke the fading youngster in the first and last games of the set
before closing out the win with a running forehand down the line on match point.
“He had perfect rhythm in the first set and I didn’t,” the winner said. “I was playing too short and too defensive.
“The ball was also not bouncing as high as it did in (last week’s) heat, I had to flatten out my shots.
“He outplayed me at the beginning of the first, but I managed to come back.
he seemed a bit nervous when he served for (the set).
“I took my chances, it was a good match for me.”
Main photo:- Alexander Zverev in control at Roland Garros – by ATPTour.com
Matteo Berrettini took Italian revenge on Monday against the Argentine who knocked out Jannik Sinner with a 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (6) fourth-round demolition of Juan Manuel Cerundolo at the French Open.
Former top 10 player Berrettini, now mended after several seasons of intermittent injury absences sent the South American packing in a solid clay display.
The Italian saved three Cerundolo set points in the third-set tiebreaker, with Berrettini claiming a match point on an inside-out forehand, and following up with a serve winner..
“I feel great,” Berrettini said. “I’m happy with the support in a full stadium.
“This is why we train and fight, I’m enjoying the atmosphere with my team and family.”
Fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime booked the last eight as he put out another South American in Canadian-born Chilean AlejandroTabilo 6-3, 7-5, 6-1.
FAA becomes the first Canadian man to complete the set of quarter-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments.
The 30-year-old Berretini from Rome is competing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2021 when he also reached the last eight here.
The current No. 105 is the lowest-ranked men’s quarter-finalist in Paris since in 2007.
Cobolli lost his first set of the tournament as he ran up against an American with negligible experience on clay, defeating Zach Svajda 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5).
The 10th-seeded Italian’s victory put him into his second Grand Slam and his first in Paris.
“I was a little bit nervous to close the match today,” the winner said. “It means a lot, this tournament, for me.
“Sometimes it’s not easy when you have to close, especially when you are up in the score like I was today.
“But also Zachary played a really good match today after the second set… tennis is like this. At the end, I was happy, and that’s the important thing.”
Svajda came to the major with only one career match win on clay. He began correcting that in the third round by beating Francisco.Cerundolo.
Cobolli cruised through the first two sets but his perfect set record took a dent in the third as Svajda forced a tiebreaker and saved a match point after closing the Italian’s 5-1 lead and forcing a tiebreaker.
It took a tiebreak fourth set to settle the outcome after more than three and a quarter hours.
Alexander Zverev stayed on track for a possible fourth Grand Slam final as the highest seed remaining in the men’s draw at the French Open moved efficiently into the quarter-finals on Sunday.
The German who has finished runner-up at the Australian and US Open plus Roland Garros, defeated qualifying lucky loser Jesper de Jong 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-1.
With this week’s second-round losses by world No. 1 and top seed Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic, Zverev could have one of his best chances at lifting a major trophy.
The 29-year-old reached his eighth Roland Garros quarter-final as he beat his Dutch opponent on de Jong’s 26th birthday.
He needed a tiebreak to secure the opening set but picked up momentum before crushing it in the third set to get off court in a relatively quick two and a quarter hours.
“I had some early difficulties but he started well,” the winner said. “But once I found my rhythm I felt comfortable on the court.
“That is important for my game. It’s (his game) is there, I just have to show it on the match court.”
With the recent 10-day heatwave now gone, temperatures dropped into the mid-20s Celsius, which should make for more comfortable conditions.
But Zverev is not so sure: “To be honest, I like the heat, I prefer it. My ball flies a lot faster through the air and opponents struggle a bit more.
“I also spend a lot of time in Florida so I’m used to the heat. But we have to make the best of it, things can change within one day.”
Zverev will bid for the semi-finals in a matchup against Rafael Jodar, the prodigy who won an all-Spanish fourth-rounder 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 over Pablo Carreno Busta.
The fightback took nearly three and three-quarter hours and put the 19-year-old into his first last-eight spot in only his second Grand Slam appearance.
He has reached the last eight here for a sixth straight year.
Jodar, ranked No. 707 a year ago, is the fifth man this century to reach the quarters in his main draw debut at the event.
The youngster made a 4-1 start in the opening set but soon found himself in a five-set dogfight against a 34-year-old dealing with a shoulder injury.
The winner of a clay title in March has now taken victory in 19 of his last 22 matches.
“He’s young and incredibly talented,” Zverev said of his next opponent. “He came onto the clay scene in two months.
“He will be a difficult challenge but I’ll be ready for it.”
Main photo:- Favourite Alexander Zverev wins third round match – by ATPTour.com
Roland Garros 2026 Men’s Day 10
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