Paris: Former world number one Roger Federer, who is targeting a record 21st Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, withdrew from the French Open on Sunday, a day after winning a tough third-round match, opting to save himself for the grass-court season.
“After discussions with my team, I decided that I should withdraw from the French Open today,” Federer said in a statement released by the French Tennis Federation.
“After two knee operations and more than a year of rehabilitation, it’s important that I listen to my body and not rush back into competition,” the 39-year-old Swiss added.
Federer, who has hardly played in the last 17 months because of a knee injury, suffered physically in his four-set, late-night victory over German Dominik Koepfer and decided to end his Roland Garros campaign ahead of what would have been a punishing fourth-round match against Italian Matteo Berrettini.
He had said after his weekend match that he was pondering whether to participate in the second week of the claycourt Grand Slam as his season goal was Wimbledon, the grass-court major starting in three weeks.
“We go through these matches… we analyse them highly and look on what’s next and we’ll do the same tonight and tomorrow,” he said.
“Because I need to decide if I keep on playing or not, or is it not too much risk at this moment to keep pushing or is this just a perfect way to just take a rest.”
Tournament director Guy Forget said: “The French Open is sorry to see Roger Federer withdraw from the tournament, but he put up a great fight last night.
“We were all delighted to see him back in Paris, where he played three top-level matches. We wish him all the best for the rest of the season.”
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander said Federer’s decision made sense as the eight-time Wimbledon champion had more chance to succeed on grass.
“It proves that it’s a long-term project for him to come back. For me, that’s good news because it shows he’s going to be around for a bit longer,” Wilander, a tennis expert for Eurosport, said.
“Obviously, he got the matches that he needed and he wanted. The main period for him over the years is the grass-court season – he enjoys all the Grand Slams and different surfaces but the grass comes so naturally to him and that’s where he has had the most success.
“So, yes, obviously perfect for him. I think it’s absolutely perfect preparation.”
Author: Reuters
Southee takes six but Burns century trims New Zealand lead to 103
London: New Zealand’s Tim Southee took six wickets while England opener Rory Burns hit 132 on his side’s way to being bowled out for 275 in the first innings, leaving them trailing the visitors by 103 runs on day four at Lord’s on Saturday.
Burns (132) kept the New Zealand attack at bay while the wickets tumbled at the other end at regular intervals, with four batsmen trudging back to the pavilion after being dismissed for ducks.
The opener led a painful but charmed life – hit on the head twice, thrown a lifeline when wicketkeeper BJ Watling missed a chance to stump him, and dropped by Southee in the slips off Neil Wagner when he was on 88.
England had resumed the day on 111-2 after rain washed out day three and Kyle Jamieson gave New Zealand the perfect start when he dismissed Joe Root with the first delivery of the day.
He forced the England skipper into a defensive shot, and the ball flew off a thick outside edge into the hands of Ross Taylor in the slips.
Ollie Pope (22) was the next to go after a solid start, missing an angled delivery from Southee which rapped him on the pads. The umpire demurred, but New Zealand successfully reviewed and overturned the decision.
Southee dismissed Dan Lawrence and James Bracey in quick succession with both batsmen returning to the pavilion for ducks.
Lawrence played a loose drive to nick the ball to Colin de Grandhomme at third slip while Bracey, on his test debut, saw his off stump uprooted.
At that point a follow-on looked distinctly possible, with England far behind on 140-6.
However, Ollie Robinson provided some resistance and nearly marked his debut with a half-century only to fall at 42 when he pulled a short ball to Jamieson at long leg to give Southee his fifth wicket.
Jamieson was then rewarded for his toil in the sunshine with a third wicket when Mark Wood (0) was caught behind off an inside edge.
Stuart Broad drew a cheer when he smashed the first six of the innings, but he was punished the very next ball when Wagner had him bowled.
Burns was running out of partners, but last man James Anderson frustrated the visitors, and the pair stitched together a 52-run partnership, with Burns reaching his century before becoming Southee’s sixth victim when he was caught behind.
New Zealand posted a first innings total of 378, with debutant Devon Conway scoring a double ton.
Djokovic saunters into French Open round two
Paris: World number one Novak Djokovic kicked off his French Open campaign with a routine 6-2 6-4 6-2 win against American Tennys Sandgren on Tuesday in the first men’s match to be scheduled in a night session.
With no spectators allowed on Philippe Chatrier court due to a 9pm local curfew, the Serbian went through the gears as he dispatched his opponent seemingly effortlessly.
Djokovic, who is chasing a 19th major title and looking to narrow the gap to 20-time Grand Slam champions Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, showed some signs of frustration in the second set but world number 66 Sandgren was never close to bothering him.
The third set was a mere formality as Djokovic, who won his only Roland Garros title in 2016, won five games in a row in what resembled a training session.
He next faces Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas on his way to a potential semi-final showdown with 13-time French Open champion Nadal.
While he appreciated playing the first men’s night session at Roland Garros, Djokovic said he would have preferred to play in front of crowds like he did last week in Belgrade, where he won the title.
“I’m honoured to be the first men’s match to play a Roland Garros night session. It was very interesting to say the least, I liked the conditions and the way I played, the way I moved, the way I felt, it worked out pretty well,” he told a courtside interviewer.
“Tennys played some good tennis. He challenged my serve, in the second set he had six break points. But it was awfully quiet, with crowds it would have been the perfect scenario, perfect setting, but hopefully this is the last match without a crowd for me in this tournament.”
One night session a day is scheduled until June 9, but only the last one is set to be played in front of fans with the French government pushing back the curfew until 11pm next Wednesday.
Read: Aisam, his partner face defeat in Parma Challenger doubles final
Ancelotti returns to Real Madrid for second spell as coach
Madrid: Carlo Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid for a second spell as coach on Tuesday, re-joining the club from Everton, after agreeing a three-year deal at the Bernabeu.
The Italian was previously in charge of Real between 2013 and 2015, and replaces Zinedine Zidane, who left the La Liga club last month.
“While I have enjoyed being at Everton I have been presented with an unexpected opportunity which I believe is the right move for me and my family at this time,” Ancelotti said in a statement on the Everton website.
Ancelotti has one of the most-decorated CVs in world football and won the Champions League with Real in 2014, helping the Spaniards to their fabled ‘Decima’ (10th) European crown, before being sacked 12 months later.
Read: Zinedine Zidane resigns as Real Madrid coach
The 61-year-old is one of three coaches, along with former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley and Zidane, to have won the European Cup or Champions League on three occasions, having also led AC Milan to glory in 2003 and 2007.
His honours list includes league titles in four different countries at Milan, Chelsea, Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich over a 26-year managerial career.
“Carlo Ancelotti will be the new first team coach for the next three seasons,” a brief Real Madrid statement read.
Ancelotti will sign his contract and be presented to the media on Wednesday.
The move comes following Zidane’s decision to step down five days after his team were pipped to the La Liga title by city rivals Atletico Madrid.
Real finished two points behind Atletico, were knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals by eventual winners Chelsea and suffered a humiliating Copa del Rey exit to third division minnows Alcoyano during a rare trophy-less season.
Zidane subsequently hit out at the club in an open letter, saying: “I’m leaving because I feel the club no longer has the faith in me I need, nor the support to build something in the medium or long term.”
It brought an end to a second spell in charge of the club that was fraught with tension.
The end of the Frenchman’s tenure was surrounded by questions over his reliance on players the wrong side of 30 like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Karim Benzema and his willingness to oversee the rebuild the club felt it needed.
Ancelotti was considered something of a coup when Everton announced his appointment on a four-and-a-half year contract in December 2019, and he guided the club to a 12th-place Premier League finish in his first season.
The Italian then oversaw an impressive summer transfer window, signing Colombian star James Rodriguez from Real Madrid as well as the likes of Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Ben Godfrey, and Everton started the campaign in superb form, winning their first seven games in all competitions.
The Toffees remained in European contention throughout the season but a dip in form towards the end of the campaign, when they picked up three wins from their final 12 league games, saw them slide to a disappointing mid-table finish.
“The club will begin the process of appointing a new manager immediately and will provide updates in due course,” read an Everton statement.
Read more: Barcelona confirm Aguero signing from Man City
Barcelona confirm Aguero signing from Man City
MADRID: Barcelona confirmed that Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero will join the club on 1 July when his contract with the Premier League champions expires.
Argentina international Aguero joined City from Spanish side Atletico Madrid in 2011 and went on to become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, netting 260 times as he helped them to claim five Premier League titles.
“Barcelona are the best team in the world,” Aguero, who celebrates his 33rd birthday on Wednesday, told a news conference. “And we all know it.
Things you love to see.#KunCuler pic.twitter.com/Yz0pZ2BkvX
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) June 1, 2021
“It was a good decision to join and help the team achieve things. It’s another step and I’m very happy. I hope I can contribute a lot to the club.
“The first thing is to try and play and help the team as much as I can. We are a team, and I will try my best. Hopefully we can get to the end of the season and be in contention for the important trophies.”
Barca said the Argentine will sign a two-year deal, with a 100 million euro ($122.04 million) buy-out clause.
Aguero is expected to be the first of a number of arrivals at Camp Nou this summer as new president Joan Laporta looks to revamp a squad that could only finish third in La Liga.
Aguero’s City team mate Eric Garcia has been heavily linked as a transfer target by local media, as have Dutch duo Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum.
Read: Chelsea win Champions League as Havertz goal tames Manchester City