(L-R) Rohan Bopanna, Marin Cilic and Zouheir El Moutaraji.India’s Rohan Bopanna and his Dutch partner Matwe Middelkoop advanced to their first Grand Slam semifinal in seven years after beating Lloyd Glasspool and Henri Heliovaara at the French Open. The Indo-Dutch pair, who has last reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam event in 2015 Wimbledon, eked out a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) win over the British-Finnish combination in a hard-fought men’s doubles quarterfinal match on Tuesday. Bopanna, 42, and Middelkoop, 38, will face 12th seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Roger on Thursday in the last four. The Bopanna and Middelkoop squandered the opening set but dished out a superb fightback to win the next two as emerge victories. In the decider, the Indo-Dutch pair showed tremendous mental fortitude to fightback from 3-5 down to take the match to a super tiebreak.They were again 0-3 behind but won 10 straight points to come up trumps. Bopanna and Middelkoop had saved five match points to knock out Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic, the reigning Wimbledon champions, from the Roland Garros, on Saturday.
The first men’s doubles semi-final is set!
🇸🇻🇳🇱Arevalo/Rojer 🆚 Bopanna/Middelkoop 🇮🇳🇳🇱#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/66zNDLzmgZ
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2022
Marin Cilic eliminates No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev
Croatia’s Marin Cilic reacts after winning a point against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev during their fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium Monday, May 30, 2022 in Paris. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias) It took until the fourth round, but now it’s the high-seeded men who are exiting the French Open. No. 2 Daniil Medvedev bowed out with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 loss to No. 20 Marin Cilic in a matchup between two past U.S. Open champions at Court Philippe Chatrier on Monday night. Medvedev joins No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas, last year’s runner-up, on the way out of the bracket. Tsitsipas lost to unseeded 19-year-old Dane Holger Rune earlier Monday.
Russia’s Daniil Medvedev throws his racket up in the air as he plays Croatia’s Marin Cilic during their fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium Monday, May 30, 2022 in Paris. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias) While only three of the top 10 women’s seeds got to the round of 32 at this year’s French Open, all of the top 12 men did. And all of the top eight men were in the fourth round. Cilic’s next opponent is No. 7 Andrey Rublev. They will play each other on Wednesday with a semifinal spot at stake.
Menstrual cramps derail Zheng’s French Open dream in loss to Swiatek
China’s Qinwen Zheng plays Poland’s Iga Swiatek during their fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium Monday, May 30, 2022 in Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Chinese teenager Zheng Qinwen suffered with menstrual cramps as she lost to Poland’s Iga Swiatek in the French Open fourth round on Monday after taking a set off the world number one. Zheng, 19, looked on track for a major upset when she claimed the opener in a tiebreak before Swiatek took control to win 6-7(5) 6-0 6-2 for her 32nd straight victory. Zheng said she had no pain during the opening set but took a medical time out at 3-0 down in the second, having her back massaged on court before going to the locker room and returning with her right thigh strapped.
El Moutaraji double gives Wydad African Champions League title
Zouheir El Moutaraji of Wydad Athletic, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side’s second goal during the CAF Champions League Soccer final match between Morocco’s Wydad Athletic Club and Egypt’s Al Ahly SC, at the Mohammed V stadium, in Casablanca, Morocco, Monday, May 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy) Wydad Casablanca winger Zouhair El Moutaraji scored both goals as they claimed African Champions League glory with a 2-0 victory over holders Al Ahly in the final at a raucous Stade Mohammed V on Monday. Wydad celebrated a third continental crown after triumphs in 1992 and 2017 as they denied Ahly a record third straight title after El Moutaraji scored his first with a thunderous long-range strike and grabbed a second from close range.
The goals sent the home fans into raptures, with the final controversially staged at Wydad’s stadium after the Confederation of African Football said Morocco was the only bidder, Senegal having withdrawn their application.
UEFA commissions independent report into Champions League final fiasco
UEFA has commissioned an independent report into the events surrounding Saturday’s Champions League final after ticket fraud and crowd trouble marred the showpiece event in Paris, Europe’s soccer governing body said on Monday. “The comprehensive review will examine decision making, responsibility and behaviours of all entities involved in the final,” UEFA said.
FC Bengaluru United appoint Khalid Ahmed Jamil as head coach
Khalid Ahmed Jamil has been appointed as FC Bengaluru United head coach for the upcoming season. Jamil was previously associated with Indian Super League club NorthEast United FC. He holds the distinction of being the first Indian head coach of an ISL team and the first Indian coach to qualify for the ISL playoffs. He has also worked with East Bengal and Mohun Bagan in a managerial capacity and was instrumental in leading Aizawl FC to their first I-League title in the 2016-17 season.
-With agencies inputs
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