November 13, 2024

The Latest: Schwartzman ends Nadal’s 36-set winning streak

Schwartzman #Schwartzman

5:05 pm

Diego Schwartzman has put an end to Rafael Nadal’s 36-set winning streak at Roland Garros.

The 10th-seeded player from Argentina leveled their quarterfinal match by winning the second set 6-4 after losing the opener 6-3. Schwartzman is the first player to take a set against the 13-time champion this year.

Nadal’s personal best of consecutive sets won is 38, from 2016-18 at Roland Garros. The men’s Grand Slam record is held by Bjorn Borg, with 41 consecutive sets won at the French Open.

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4 pm

Both Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Elena Rybakina ended the day in the losing column this time.

A day after Pavlyuchenkova came from a set down to beat Rybakina and reach the French Open semifinals, the doubles teammates were back on the same side of the court at Roland Garros.

Facing Magda Linette and Bernarda Pera in the quarterfinals, they lost 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.

Pavlyuchenkova is the first Russian woman to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since Elena Vesnina reached the last four at Wimbledon in 2016.

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3:30 p.m.

Coco Gauff says she “definitely” plans to compete at the Tokyo Olympics after earning a spot on the U.S. team with her run to the French Open quarterfinals.

The 17-year-old Gauff said she doesn’t have any concerns about going to Japan for next month’s Tokyo Games.

She also acknowledged she hasn’t “really thought about it yet.”

The Olympics were postponed last year because of the pandemic and there are concerns now about the coronavirus in Tokyo. Some tennis players have expressed reservations and French Open semifinalist Tamara Zidansek said she will not participate in the Olympics for Slovenia.

The WTA and ATP rankings after the French Open ends Sunday will help determine which players are eligible to compete in Japan.

Each country can send up to four men and four women to compete in singles and Gauff’s career-best Grand Slam showing in Paris moved her into position to go to the Olympics.

She was asked about the Tokyo Games after her quarterfinal loss to Barbora Krejcikova at Roland Garros on Wednesday. She says “I’m definitely planning on playing the Olympics. … I’m excited to play.”

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3:15 p.m.

Maria Sakkari powered past defending champion Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 to reach the French Open semifinals for the first time.

The 17th-seeded Greek player said: “I’m speechless. It’s a dream coming true.”

Sakkari had never progressed past the fourth round at any major tournament before starting her Roland Garros campaign.

She returned extremely well on Court Philippe Chatrier and hurt her rival by taking risks.

Swiatek entered the match having not lost a set in the tournament. She asked for a medical timeout after going down 2-0 in the second set and returned to the court with her right thigh bandaged.

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2:15 p.m.

Iga Swiatek’s 22-set winning streak at the French Open is over.

The defending champion has lost the opening set of her quarterfinal match against Maria Sakkari 6-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

She had won 14 consecutive sets last year at Roland Garros and her first four matches this year were straight-set victories.

In the second set Swiatek was broken immediately and went down 2-0 before calling for a medical timeout.

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1:30 p.m.

The day’s second women’s quarterfinal has started on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Defending champion Iga Swiatek takes on 17th-seeded Maria Sakkari, who is making her Grand Slam quarterfinal debut.

Swiatek has been enjoying a smooth ride to the quarterfinals and has yet to drop a set.

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1 p.m.

Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic reached the French Open semifinals by defeating American teenager Coco Gauff 7-6 (6), 6-3.

The 33rd-ranked Krejcikova will play her first semifinal at a major tournament against either defending champion Iga Swiatek or Maria Sakkari.

Gauff had plenty of chances in the first set but failed to convert five set points. She saved five match points but her comeback attempt was too little too late after falling behind 5-0 in the second set.

Krejcikova extended her winning streak on clay to 10 matches.

“I really never imagined that I would be standing here one day,” she said. “It’s something I never dreamed of.”

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10.45 a.m.

American teenager Coco Gauff is bidding for a spot in the French Open semifinals against Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic.

If she wins on Court Philippe Chatrier, the 17-year-old Gauff will become the youngest woman in the semifinals at any major tournament since 2006.

The 24th-seeded Gauff has not been defeated by a player outside the top 30 on clay this season. Krejcikova is ranked 33rd.

Defending champion Iga Swiatek then faces Maria Sakkari.

In the men’s quarterfinals, 13-time champion Rafael Nadal faces No. 10 seed Diego Schwartzman, before No. 1 Novak Djokovic meets No. 9 Matteo Berrettini in the night session.

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More AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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