French Open (Roland Garros, 2014) Day 10 - Quarter-Finals

Djokovic and Sharapova through to Semi-Finals

Novak Djokovic came through his quarter-final match against Milos Raonic with a straights set victory. However, it was hard-fought for. Breaks of serve were few and far between during this match but the number two seed proved why he keeps on making those semi-final appearances with a 7-5, 7-6, 6-4 win. 

Maria Sharapova avoided a real scare and progressed into the semi-finals after defeating Muguruzu 1-6, 7-5, 6-1. Muguruzu showed one again the type of tennis that proved too much for Serena Williams in the first set against Sharapova, racing away with the first set. However, Sharapova is a true competitor and valiantly levelled the match at one set apiece. With the momentum in her favour and experience on her side, Sharapova hit her way past Muguruzu in the deciding set, coming out a worthy winner. 

My Opinion:

Djokovic will meet Gulbis in the semi-finals after the Latvian continued to upset the higher seeds with a straight sets victory over Berdych. It was another very impressive performance in what has been a fantastic run for the 18th seed. Some may have thought that knocking out Federer would have been his one moment of the tournament but he continues into the semi-finals. Could this be his year to finally make a potential breakthrough into the final or will, as I expect, Djokovic be one step too much. 

Sharapova will meet Bouchard in the semi-finals after the Canadian overcame an enthralling encounter with Suarez-Navarro. It was a very even match-up that needed a deciding set which really could have gone either way. However, it was Bouchard who claimed that vital break of serve at the end of the set to seal her best result in a Slam so far. I'm really looking forward to Sharapova taking on Bouchard as anything really could happen. It's surely going to be a three-setter but will experience or youth prevail?

Men’s Singles Quarter-Finals Results

Djokovic (2) beat Raonic (8) 7-5, 7-6, 6-4

Gulbis (18) beat Berdych (6) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

Women’s Singles Quarter-Final Results

Sharapova (7) beat Muguruza 1-6, 7-5, 6-1

Bouchard (18) beat Suarez-Navarro (14) 7-6, 2-6, 7-5

Women’s Doubles Quarter-Finals Results

Hsieh/Peng (1) beat Black/Mirza (5) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3

Errani/Vinci (2) beat Barty/Dellacqua (7) 6-0, 6-1

Mixed Doubles Quarter-Finals Selected Result

Shvedova/Soares (3) beat Mladenovic/Nestor (5) 6-3, 1-6, (10-3)

Boys’ Singles Second Round Selected Results

Rublev (4) beat Wiersholm 6-3, 3-6, 6-3

Khachanov (3) beat Rybakov 6-4, 6-3

Boys’ Singles Third Round Selected Result

Luz (2) beat Medvedev (16) 6-1, 6-3

Girls’ Singles Second Round Selected Results

Wallace beat Mihalikova 0-6, 6-3, 6-4

Bolsova Zadoinova (4) beat Grabher 7-5, 6-3

Jorovic (1) beat Arconada 7-6, 6-2

Rosca beat Boulter 6-0, 6-3

Girls’ Singles Third Round Selected Result

Vondrousova beat Bellis (2) 6-0, 6-4

Boys’ Doubles First Round Selected Results

Matos/Zormann beat Nakagawa/Yamasaki (3) 7-6, 5-7, (10-7)

Khachanov/Medvedev (4) beat Fournerie/Tessa 6-4, 6-4

Boys’ Doubles Second Round Selected Result

Kozlov/Rublev (1) beat Chrysochos/Rosas 6-1, 6-4

Girls’ Doubles First Round Selected Results

Heinova/Komardina beat Boulter/Jorovic (3) 1-6, 6-3, (10-6)

Stefani/Zarazua walkover Abanda/Flink (1)

Girls’ Doubles Second Round Selected Results

Bains/Black (4) beat Mihalikova/Sramkova 7-6, 2-6, (10-7)

Ducu/Rosca beat Hon/Teichmann (2) 6-1, 7-5

French Open (Roland Garros, 2014) Day 9 - Fourth Round

Nadal, Murray and Halep move into Quarter-Finals

Rafael Nadal eased into the French Open Quarter-Finals with a very dominant display against Lajovic. The top seed lost only four games throughout the entire match, winning 6-1, 6-2, 6-1. Going into the Quarter-Finals, nobody would want to play Nadal here as he just seems to be getting better as the tournament goes on. 

Simona Halep booked her place in the Quarter-Finals draw after avoiding a potential upset against Sloane Stephens. The fourth seed battled her way past the American with a straight sets victory 6-4, 6-3 in what was a very competitive match. 

My Opinion:

David Ferrer moved into the Quarters after overcoming Kevin Anderson in four sets. A break of serve in each of the two opening sets saw the Spaniard go 2-0 sets up but Anderson claimed the third set tie-break to take the match into a fourth. However, Ferrer found his game and swiftly took the fourth set 6-1. Andy Murray made easier work than he did at Wimbledon last year against Fernando Verdasco, this time coming out on top with a straight sets victory. That result will please the seventh seed as he saves vital energy going into the last eight. Gael Monfils kept the French dreaming after claiming a comfortable win over Garcia-Lopez. There are some really good Quarter-Final match-ups this year and it will be really interesting to see who progresses into the semi-s.

 Jelena Jankovic was knocked out by Sara Errani in straight sets which was an upset according to the seeding. The first set was extremely competitive but it was Errani who came out on top in the tie-break which hugely influenced how the second set went. Jankovic, who hits the flat and hard, made too many unforced errors whilst Errani just kept getting the ball back. A great result for Errani who normally enjoys her best Grand Slam results here at Roland Garros. Kuznetsova continued her good run with a straight sets victory over Safarova. It will be interesting to see how far the Russian can go this year. Despite losing the first set quite convincingly, Petkovic fought back to eventually overcome Bertens 7-5 in the third set. With the top three seeds out, the women's title is really up for grabs this year, making the Quarter-Finals a very interesting affair. 

Men’s Singles Fourth Round Results

Nadal (1) beat Lajovic 6-1, 6-2, 6-1

Ferrer (5) beat Anderson (19) 6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1

Murray (7) beat Verdasco (24) 6-4, 7-5, 7-6

Monfils (23) beat Garcia-Lopez 6-0, 6-2, 7-5

Women’s Singles Fourth Round Results

Halep (4) beat Stephens (15) 6-4, 6-3

Errani (10) beat Jankovic (6) 7-6, 6-2

Kuznetsova (27) beat Safarova (23) 6-3, 6-4

Petkovic (28) beat Bertens 1-6, 6-2, 7-5

Men’s Doubles Quarter-Finals Results

Granollers/Lopez (12) beat Bryan/Bryan (1) 6-4, 6-2

Dragania/Mergea beat Nestor/Zimonjic (3) 6-7, 6-3, 7-6

Women’s Doubles Third Round Selected Result

Peschke/Srebotnik (4) beat Kanepi/Panova 6-3, 6-1

Boys’ Singles First Round Selected Results

Rublev (4) beat Apostol 5-7, 6-1, 7-5

Luz (2) beat Fritz 6-4, 6-0

Choinski beat Tiafoe (1) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3

Girls’ Singles First Round Selected Results

Boulter beat Kingsley 6-1, 3-6, 6-3

Bolsova Zadoinov (4) beat Komardina 6-2, 6-2

Jorovic (1) beat Cristian 6-2, 6-2

Girls’ Singles Second Round Selected Results

Bellis (2) beat Salas 6-1, 6-3

Boys’ Doubles First Round Selected Results

Kozlov/Rublev (1) beat Janvier/Muller 6-4, 6-1

Apostol/Frunza beat Mmoh/Tiafoe (2) 6-4, 7-5

Girls’ Doubles First Round Selected Results

Bains/Black (4) beat Wargnier/Yerolymos 6-2, 6-3

Hon/Teichmann (2) beat Samir/Wallace 7-6, 6-4

French Open (Roland Garros, 2014) Day 8 - Third/Fourth Round

Murray, Djokovic progress, Federer crashes out

Roger Federer crashed out of the French Open after being defeated in the fourth round to Ernests Gulbis in a five set thriller. The first two sets were shared as Federer won the first tie-break whilst Gulbis claimed the second. It was the dangerous Latvian who stormed away with the third set but Federer hit back, taking the match into a fifth set after winning the fourth 6-4. Despite giving it everything, it was not enough for Federer who was knocked out after losing the deciding set 6-3. A really entertaining match and if Gulbis can maintain this level of tennis, who knows how far he could go at the French Open. 

Meanwhile, seventh seed Maria Sharapova survived a scare after coming through a tough match against Sam Stosur. It was the Australian who claimed the first set 6-3 but Sharapova fought back valiantly and turned the match around after winning the second set 6-4. The momentum had shifted in favour of Sharapova and it clearly showed as she wasted no time in the deciding set, winning it 6-0.

My Opinion:

There were a couple of third round matches that needed to be finished off and they threw up some enthralling results. Andy Murray eventually sealed his place in the fourth round, overcoming Kohlschrieber 12-10 in the fifth set. Meanwhile, Fernando Verdasco upset the home crowd after knocking out Richard Gasquet in straight sets. 

Novak Djokovic claimed his place in the QF after defeating Tsonga in very comfortable fashion. A hugely disappointing day for the French as both of their best players were knocked out on the same day. Tomas Berdych was victorious in the battle of the big servers, overcoming John Isner in straight sets. Milos Raonic continues to impress, this time defeating Granollers in straight sets as the Quarter-Finals start to look a little more tasty. 

Suarez Navarro marched into the Quarter-Finals with a straight sets victory over Tomljanovic which most likely came as no surprise to anyone in the tennis world. However, there was a huge result for young Canadian star Eugunie Bouchard who defeated eighth seed Angelique Kerber 6-1, 6-2. That was a massive result as Bouchard continues her rise up the rankings and claims her first ever Quarter-Final at Roland Garros. 

Men’s Singles Third Round Selected Results

Verdasco (24) beat Gasquet (12) 6-3, 6-2, 6-3

Murray (7) beat Kohlschrieber (28) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 12-10

Men’s Singles Fourth Round Selected Results

Gulbis (18) beat Federer (4) 6-7, 7-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

Djokovic (2) beat Tsonga (13) 6-1, 6-4, 6-1

Berdych (6) beat Isner (10) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

Raonic (8) beat Granollers 6-3, 6-3, 6-3

Women’s Singles Fourth Round Selected Results

Bouchard (18) beat Kerber (8) 6-1, 6-2

Suarez Navarro (14) beat Tomljanovic 6-3, 6-3

Sharapova (7) beat Stosur (19) 3-6, 6-4, 6-0

Women’s Doubles Third Round Selected Results

Hsieh/Peng (1) beat Huber/Raymond (15) 6-0, 6-2

Errani/Vinci (2) beat Petkovic/Rybarikova 7-5, 3-6, 6-3

Mixed Doubles Second Round Selected Result

Shevdova/Soares (3) beat Lim/Chardy 6-3, 6-4

Mixed Doubles Quarter-Final Selected Result

Georges/Zimonjic (8) beat Srebotnik/Bopanna (2) 2-6, 6-4, (10-5)

Boys’ Singles First Round Selected Results

Luz (2) beat Molcan 6-1, 6-1

 Khachanov (3) beat Bertran 6-2, 6-2

Tiafoe (1) beat Larriere 6-4, 7-5

Girls’ Singles First Round Selected Results

Badosa Gibert beat Black (3) 6-2, 6-1

Bellis (2) beat Birrell 6-3, 6-3

Wallace beat Fink (6) 7-5, 6-2

French Open (Roland Garros, 2014) Day 7 - Third Round

Nadal through to fourth round but Kvitova out

Rafael Nadal eased through into the fourth round at the French Open with a straight sets victory over Mayer 6-2, 7-5, 6-2. It was no surprise to see the Spaniard go through and it still looks as though it's going to take an inspired performance to beat him here. 

The biggest story in the Women's draw saw previous winner Kuznetsova defeat fifth seed Kvitova in a three set epic. Kvitova took the first set after winning the tie-break but Kuznetsova raced away with the second set 6-1. However, it was a real battle in the deciding set as both players fought valiantly. In the end, it was Kuznetsova who came out victorious, eventually winning the third set 9-7. Some may see this as an upset, especially going with the seeding but you can never rule out a previous champion.

My Opinion:

David Ferrer moved into the fourth round after overcoming Seppi in straight sets. The Italian plays his best tennis on the clay so this was by no means an easy win for Ferrer. He had to work hard for the majority of the points but you would expect last years runner up to come through that match. Kevin Anderson didn't have to work too hard for his place in the fourth round as Ivo Karlovic retired from the match with an injury in the second set. Although I'm sure the first set was just a lot of aces being thrown down. The match of the day saw home favourite Gael Monfils defeat the enigmatic Fabio Fognini in a five set thriller. Foginini took the first set but Monfils struck back, winning the second and third set. However, Fognini won the fourth set to love, taking the match to a deciding fifth set. Tantrums were thrown by the Italian as Monfils battled his way past the Italian, much to the delight of the French crowd.

Jelena Jankovic eased through with a comfortable victory over Cirstea whilst Simona Halep crushed her Torro-Flor to move into the fourth round. Sara Errani only dropped one game in her match against Glushko whilst Sloane Stephens battled her way past Makarova in straight sets. Safarova caused an upset after defeating 11th seed Ana Ivanovic in straight sets. That came as a surprise to me and it will no doubt come as a major disappointment to Ivanovic to leave Roland Garros in the third round. 

Men’s Singles Third Round Selected Results

Nadal (1) beat Mayer 6-2, 7-5, 6-2

Monfils (23) beat Fognini (14) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 0-6, 6-2

Ferrer (5) beat Seppi (32) 6-2, 7-6, 6-3

Anderson (19) beat Karlovic 6-3 Retired

Women’s Singles Third Round Selected Results

Kuzetsova (27) beat Kvitova (5) 6-7, 6-1, 9-7

Stephens (15) beat Makarova (22) 6-3, 6-4

Safarova (23) beat Ivanovic (11) 6-3, 6-3

Jankovic (6) beat Cirstea (26) 6-1, 6-2

Halep (4) beat Torro-Flor 6-3, 6-0

Errani (10) beat Glushko 6-0, 6-1

Men’s Doubles Third Round Selected Results

Bryan/Bryan (1) beat Murray/Peers (15) 6-3, 6-1

Nestor/Zimonjic (3) beat Rojer/Tecau (13) 6-4, 7-5

Women’s Doubles Second Round Selected Results

Coin/Parmentier beat Makarova/Vesnina (3) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3

Peschke/Srebotnik (4) beat Kalashnikova/Piter 7-6, 6-4

Mixed Doubles Second Round Selected Results

Cornet/Eysseric beat Jans-Ignacik/Inglot 7-6, 3-6, 11-9

Srebotnik/Bopanna (2) beat Black/Farah 6-3, 3-6, 10-7

Parra Santonia/Gonzalez beat Spears/Peya (1) 5-7, 6-3, 10-4

Fourth ODI - England v Sri Lanka (Lords) 2014

Sri Lanka edge England in tense thriller

Sri Lanka 300-9 (50 overs) beat England 293-8 (50 overs) by 7 runs (Series level at 2-2)

Sri Lanka beat England by 7 runs in the fourth one day international to level the Series at 2-2. A century from Sangakkara (112) helped the visitors reach 300-9 from their fifty overs before Malinga claimed four wickets to deny England victory despite a spirited century from Buttler (121).



My Opinion:

Gurney dismissed K. Perera (19) in the sixth over but a 150 run partnership between Dilshan and Sangakkara boosted Sri Lanka's total up to 198-1. Anderson bowled Dilshan (71) before Sangakkara went on to make a century from 95 balls. Two wickets fell in quick succession as Jayawardene (7) and Sangakkara (112) were both dismissed, leaving SL 233-4 with just under eight overs left. During the last eight overs, SL managed to put on a further 67 runs but lost five wickets along the way. The partnership between Dilshan and Sangakkara put SL in a strong position and ended up being a major factor in the result of the game. Gurney was the pick of the bowlers, taking four wickets but Sangakkara was the star of the innings. 

England started their innings poorly, losing two wickets inside the first four overs as Cook (1) and Bell (7) were both dismissed cheaply. Ballance and Root put on a fifty partnership before both were dismissed, leaving England 107-4 in the 28th over. Morgan was stumped an over later but a century stand between Buttler and Bopara brought England back into the game at 220-5 with nine overs to go. Shortly, after passing fifty, Bopara (51) was sent back to the pavilion but Buttler continued to fight, eventually sealing a century off just 61 balls. England needed just 15 runs from the last 20 balls but were unable to deliver the win. Two overs passed and England were still nowhere nearer the finish line which left them with plenty to do in the last over. However, it was Malinga to bowl the last over and that's never good for the batsmen. Jordan (5) went off the second ball before Buttler was run out on the fourth. In the end, it came to a really disappointing loss which England should have seen through. Buttler was mightily impressive and deserved to be on the winning side. However, it was an old foe who denied England once again as Malinga proved once more why he's so strong at the end of an innings. Cook, Bell and Morgan all failed to deliver but with the Series level at 2-2, it just takes one spark of magic from one player to take home the victory in the final match of the Series. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

England won the toss and elected to bowl.

Sri Lanka Innings:
(5.1) 26-1, K. Perera 19 (15), 2 fours, 1 six, caught Jordan, Gurney.
(11) 50-1, Dilshan 25*, Sangakkara 2*.
(16) 77-1, Fifty partnership between Dilshan 38* and Sangakkara 14*.
(20) 103-1, Dilshan 42*, Sangakkara 36*.
(23.1) 124-1, Fifty for Sangakkara off 53 balls.
(23.2) 125-1, Fiffy for Dilshan off 72 balls.
(24) 131-1, Hundred Partnership between Dilshan 50* and Sangakkara 55*.
(29) 155-1, Dilshan 57*, Sangakkara 72*.
(33) 179-1, 150 partnership between Dilshan 63* and Sangakkara 85*.
(35.4) 198-2, Dilshan 71 (109), 5 fours, bowled by Anderson.
(37) 201-2, Sangakkara 97*, Jayawardene 2*.
(38.1) 204-2, Century for Sangakkara off 95 balls.
(39.3) 217-3, Jayawardene 7 (14), 1 four, caught Anderson, Gurney.
(42.1) 233-4, Sangakkara 112 (104), 14 fours, stumped by Buttler, Tredwell.
(46) 260-4, Mathews 18*, Thirimanne 16*.
(46.2) 261-5, Thirimanne 16 (14), 2 fours, caught Ballance, Anderson.
(48.1) 279-6, Mathews 30 (30), 4 fours, caught Anderson, Jordan.
(48.4) 280-7, Kulasekara 0 (2), bowled by Jordan.
(49.3) 292-8, Priyanjan 9 (7), caught Morgan, Gurney.
(49.5) 296-9, Senanayake 12 (5), 1 four, 1 six, caught Cook, Gurney.
(50) 300-9, Mendis 4*(1), 1 four and Malinga 0*(0).

Batsman of the Innings: Sangakkara 112 (104)
Bowler of the Innings: Gurney 4-55 from 10 overs

England Innings:
(1.1) 3-1, Cook 1 (6), lbw Malinga.
(3.2) 10-2, Bell 7 (8), 1 four, caught Jayawardene, Malinga.
(14) 52-2, Ballance 21*, Root 18*.
(16) 62-2, Fifty partnership between Ballance 28* and Root 21* off 75 balls.
(23.2) 94-3, Ballance 42 (69), 2 fours, caught Sangakkara, Mendis.
(25) 101-3, Root 40*, Morgan 6*.
(27.2) 107-4, Root 43 (68), 1 four, caught Mendis, Mathews.
(28.2) 111-5, Morgan 12 (17), stumped by Sangakkara, Senanayake.
(34) 153-5, Bopara 16*, Buttler 25*.
(36) 166-5, Fifty partnership between Bopara 16* and Buttler 36*.
(37) 181-5, Fifty for Buttler off 34 balls.
(40) 209-5, Buttler 67*, Bopara 28*.
(41) 220-5, Century partnership between Buttler 68* and Bopara 38*.
(44) 239-5, Fifty for Bopara off 44 balls.
(44.4) 244-6, Bopara 51 (47), 1 four, caught Thirimanne, Mendis.
(46) 265-6, Buttler 98*, Jordan 1*.
(46.4) 286-6, Century for Buttler off 61 balls.
(49.2) 290-7, Jordan 5 (10), caught Dilshan, Malinga.
(49.4) 292-8, Buttler 121 (74), 11 fours, 4 sixes, run out by Malinga.
(50) 293-8, Tredwell 1*(1) and Anderson 0*(0).
Sri Lanka win by 7 runs and level the Series 2-2.

Batsman of the Innings: Buttler 121 (74)
Bowler of the Innings: Malinga 3-52 from 10 overs.

Third ODI - England v Sri Lanka (Old Trafford) 2014

England bowlers obliterate Sri Lanka

England 73-0 (12.1) beat Sri Lanka 67 (24) by 10 wickets (England lead Series 2-1)

England bowled Sri Lanka out for just 67 in what was an incredible bowling display before Alistair Cook (30*) and Ian Bell (41*) comfortably guided England across the winning line as they thrashed Sri Lanka by ten wickets.

My Opinion:

That was a shocker for Sri Lanka who had an absolute nightmare with the bat. Anderson took two wickets inside the first five overs, dismissing both Dilshan and Thirimanne to reduce Sri Lanka down to 13-2. Jordan struck three times during the next fifteen overs to send Sangakkara, Chandimal and Mathews back to the pavilion whilst Tredwell managed to dismiss Jayawardene lbw. This left Sri Lanka 60-6 in what was a truly terrible batting collapse. Their innings only lasted five more overs as they could only produce a further seven runs for their last four wickets. It really was a batting disaster. Four players moved into double figures but that really is the only positive that Sri Lanka could take from their performance.

On the other hand, England’s bowlers were brilliant whilst Chris Jordan took an impressive fifer. Tredwell contributed three wickets to the cause whilst Jimmy Anderson claimed the two openers. A very strong performance was capped by Cook and Bell, who comfortably and majestically saw England across the finish line without the loss of a single wicket. Great to watch and a really convincing victory has restored my belief in this England side. Hopefully, with two games to go, England can wrap up this Series with another victory which would be a welcome turn of fortunes for the England cricket team. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

England won the toss and elected to bowl.

Sri Lanka Innings:
(3) 4-1, Dilshan 2 (11), caught Buttler, Anderson.
(4.5) 13-2, Thirimanne 7 (16), 1 four, caught Buttler, Anderson.
(11.2) 32-3, Sangakkara 13 (23), 2 fours, caught Buttler, Jordan.
(15.4) 45-4, Chandimal 6 (15), caught Bell, Jordan.
(18) 58-4, Jayawardene 12*, Mathews 11*.
(18.1) 58-5, Jayawardene 12 (33), 1 four, lbw Tredwell.
(19.2) 60-6, Mathews 11 (12), 2 fours, caught Buttler, Jordan.
(21.4) 65-7, Priyanjan 2 (9), run out by Bopara.
(22) 65-8, Kulasekara 5 (13), caught Tredwell, Jordan.
(22.1) 65-9, Senanayake 0 (1), caught Sub, Tredwell.
(24) 67 all out, Malinga 2 (6), lbw Jordan.

Batsman of the Innings: Sangakkara 13 (33)
Bowler of the Innings: Jordan 5-29 from 8 overs.

England Innings:
(9.2) 50-0, Fifty partnership between Cook 24* and Bell 24*.
(12.1) 73-0, Cook 30*(40), 2 fours and Bell 41*(33), 4 fours, 1 six.
England win by 10 wickets and lead the Series 2-1.

Batsman of the Innings: Bell 41*(33)
Bowler of the Innings: Malinga 0-13 from 3 overs.

England v Peru (Wembley) International Friendly

England 3 v 0 Peru Sturridge (32), Cahill (65), Jagielka (70)



Watch the Match Highlights here

My Opinion:

England were clearly the better team and controlled the match. It was a good friendly with the view that it built confidence, netting three goals and keeping a clean sheet. However, it must be pointed out that Peru were pretty poor and easy to roll over. Tougher tests will for sure lie ahead in the World Cup but at least it gave the England players another chance to gel as a team. I'm really not very sure why Welbeck is played out on the left as he doesn't make that much of an impact out there. If he is going to play, play him up front alongside Sturridge. Despite England being much better than Peru, they didn't really settle down into the game until that first goal went in on the half hour mark. Once England were ahead, that was game over. Peru had a few pot shots but Hart was equal to every one of them, pulling off some decent saves. Sturridge scored the goal of the night with a lovely curling effort from the edge of the box whilst it was pleasing to see both the centre backs on the scoresheet. Overall, a solid performance that should give the players some much needed confidence going over to the Americas. 

Man of the Match - Daniel Sturridge

Goal of the Night - Daniel Sturridge

French Open (Roland Garros, 2014) Day 6 - Third Round

Djokovic and Federer both progress but A. Radwanska crashes out

Novak Djokovic defeated Marin Cilic to move into the fourth round at Roland Garros. However, despite winning the first two sets comfortably, Djokovic dropped the third set as Cilic came out on top in the tie-break. It was back to normality in the fourth set as Djokovic sealed victory with a single break of serve.

Third seed A. Radwanska crashed out in the third round of the French Open after losing in straight sets to Tomljanovic. The top two seeds were already knocked out and now Simona Halep, the fourth seed, remains the highest ranked women’s player left in the draw.

 

My Opinion:

Cilic impressively took a set off Djokovic but it was the Serbian who booked his place in the fourth round. Federer dropped a set to Tursunov but managed to overcome the Russian after four hard fought sets. In what I thought could be a potential upset, Berdych defeated the dangerous Bautista Agut in four sets in reasonably comfortable fashion. Milos Raonic battled back from two sets to one down to defeat Gilles Simon in a five set thriller whilst John Isner battled his was past a spirited Tommy Robredo in four highly competitive and long sets. Tsonga delighted the French crowd after overcoming Janowicz in straight sets whilst Gulbis moved into the fourth round with a routine victory over Stepanek. No major shocks today in the men’s draw but I was slightly surprised to see Isner defeat Robredo on clay.

There were two big upsets in the women’s draw as third seed Radwanska and ninth seed Cibulkova both crashed out in the third round. I was more surprised to see Radwanska get knocked out but less so with Cibulkova as Sam Stosur is a tough competitor on a clay court. Sharapova wasted no time in progressing into the fourth round, not even dropping a single game against Ormaechea. Kerber, Suarez Navarro and Bouchard all claimed third round wins as expected as the women’s draw becomes increasingly more open each day.

Men's Singles Third Round 

Federer (4) beat Tursunov (31) 7-5, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4

Raonic (8) beat Simon (29) 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5

Djokovic (2) beat Cilic (25) 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4

Tsonga (13) beat Janowicz (22) 6-4, 6-4, 6-3

Gulbis (18) beat Stepanek 6-3, 6-2, 7-5

Isner (10) beat Robredo (17) 7-6, 7-6, 6-7, 7-5

Berdych (6) beat Bautista Agut 6-1, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4

Women's Singles Third Round

Tomljanovic beat A. Radwanska (3) 6-4, 6-4

Sharapova (7) beat Ormaechea 6-0, 6-0

Stosur (19) beat Cibulkova (9) 6-4, 6-4

Kerber (8) beat Hantuchova (31) 7-5, 6-3

Suarez Navarro (14) beat Townsend 6-2, 6-2

Bouchard (18) beat Larsson 7-5, 6-4

Men's Doubles Second Round 

Pavic/Sa beat Huey/Inglot (7) 7-6, 7-6

Begemann/Haase beat Peya/Soares(2) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

Murray/Peers (15) beat Bolelli/Fognini 6-4, 6-3

Golubev/Groth beat Marrero/Verdasco (4) 7-6, 6-4

Mixed Doubles First Round

Spears/Peya (1) beat Melzer/Melzer 6-4, 6-2

Srebotnik/Bopanna (2) beat Hlavackova/Lopez 7-6, 7-5

Shevdova/Soares (3) beat Dellacqua/Murray 6-3, 5-7, 10-6

French Open (Roland Garros, 2014) Day 5 - Second Round

Nadal and Murray cruise into Third Round 

Rafael Nadal made light work of his second round opponent Thiem, coming through with a straight sets victory. A double break in the first set was followed up with a double break in the second set before Nadal sealed the third 6-3. Meanwhile, fourth seed Simona Halep overcame a battling Heather Watson to progress into the third round at Roland Garros with a hard fought straight sets victory.

My Opinion:

No surprise to see Nadal defeat Thiem comfortably whilst it was very pleasing to see Murray overcome Matosevic very easily. Both matches were mismatches and were over pretty quickly. David Ferrer moved into the third round after beating Bolleli which was to be expected whilst home favourite Richard Gasquet gave the French crowd something to cheer about after defeating Berlocq in three tough sets. Expressive Italian player Fabio Fognini looked impressive during his win over the hard-hitting Bellucci whilst Kevin Anderson moved swiftly past Michon. There was one upset as Feliciano Lopez crashed out to Donald Young in straight sets. A result that surprised me and maybe we could see bigger and better things to come for the American.

Heather Watson gave it a real go against Halep but the fourth seed was just too strong on the clay. Kvitova overcame a tough encounter against Erakovic whilst Jankovic progressed into the third round with a strong win over Nara. Sara Errani, Ana Ivanovic and Sloane Stephens all claimed straight sets victories but a couple of seeds were knocked out. Flipkens lost in three sets to Glushko whilst Pavlyuchenkova retired from her match against Bertens in the third set. Flipkens has been through a tough year with results and a second round exit will not do her any good. Despite that, no major upsets on day five at Roland Garros.

Mens Singles Second Round

Nadal (1) beat Thiem 6-2, 6-2, 6-3

Gasquet (12) beat Berlocq 7-6, 6-4, 6-4

Ferrer (5) beat Bolleli 6-2, 6-3, 6-2

Murray (7) beat Matosevic 6-3, 6-1, 6-3

Young beat Lopez (26) 6-3, 7-6, 6-3

Fognini (14) beat Bellucci 6-3, 6-4, 7-6

Anderson (19) beat Michon 6-2, 6-3, 6-2

Womens Singles Second Round

Jankovic (6) beat Nara 7-5, 6-0

Ivanovic (11) beat Svitolina 7-5, 6-2

Kvitova (5) beat Erakovic 6-4, 6-4

Stephens (15) beat Hercoq 6-1, 6-3

Halep (4) beat Watson 6-2, 6-4

Errani (10) beat Pfizenmaier 6-2, 6-4

Bertens beat Pavlyuchenkova (24) 5-7, 6-4, 3-0 Retired

Glushko beat Flipkens (21) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

Mens Doubles First Round

Huey/Inglot (7) beat Giraldo/Gonzalez 6-3, 3-6, 6-3

Mens Doubles Second Round

Bryan/Bryan (1) beat Eysseric/Gicquel 6-3, 6-3

Nestor/Zimonjic (3) beat Bautista Agut/Sijsling 6-3, 6-7, 6-3

Womens Doubles First Round 

Makarova/Vesnina (3) beat Collombon/Paquet 6-2, 6-3

Hsieh/Peng (1) beat Kuznetsova/Stosur 6-2, 6-4

Errani/Vinci (2) beat Babos/Lepchenko 6-1, 6-3

Mixed Doubles First Round

Mirza/Tecau beat Peschke/Matkowski (4) 4-6, 6-3, 10-7

Kops-Jones/Klaasen beat Rodionova/Fleming 3-6, 6-3, 10-8

French Open (Roland Garros, 2014) Day 4 - Second Round

Serena Williams suffers shock second round exit

The biggest story of the day and of the tournament so far was that Serena Williams crashed out of the French Open in the second round. Muguruza played the match of her life as the relatively unknown star pulled off quite an incredible result. Serena made continuous mistakes throughout both sets and looked completely out of form. Nonetheless, it still took a whole lot of guts to defeat Serena Williams and Muguruza certainly was a credible winner. I guess if Serena is going to beaten early in a major it is most likely to occur at Roland Garros but it still comes as a massive shock to the tennis world when it happens. That result will give everyone else in the draw a humongous boost as the favourite bows out so early.

Meanwhile, in the men’s draw it was business as usual as the top guns cruised into the third round. Novak Djokovic made light work of Jeremy Chardy with a straight sets win whilst Roger Federer battled past Schwartzman after three well fought sets.

My opinion:

The men’s draw saw a couple of seed crash out, most notably 15^th seed Mikhail Youzhny who lost in four sets to Radek Stepanek. Not too surprised as Youzhny is either brilliant on the day or just not with it. The other upset saw Granollers defeat 20^th seed Dolgopolov after coming from two sets down to win in the fifth. That was pretty impressive considering the situation but Granollers is decent on the clay. Tsonga managed to defeat Melzer pretty comfortably, Berdych lost the first set to his opponent but came through in the fourth whilst Raonic overcame the promising youngster Jiri Vesely in three sets. Isner lost the first in his match but managed to progress whilst both Robredo and Gulbis moved into the third round.

Third seed Radwanska defeated Pliskova in straight sets and will fancy her chances of going deep into the tournament whilst Maria Sharapova was made to work hard for her third round place after overcoming a battling Pironkova. Despite winning the first set, Venus Williams was knocked out as Schmeidlova fought back to win the second and third sets. Thus, both Williams’ sisters were knocked out on the same day in the second round; something few would have predicted at the start of the day. Kerber, Cilbulkova and Stosur all progressed without any hiccups whilst both Suarez Navarro and Eugenie Bouchard had to comeback from a set down to win their respective matches. Taylor Townsend sent out a few shockwaves after defeating Alize Cornet in a three set thriller whilst Flavia Pennetta was defeated by Larsson in the third set. It was a real shame to see Sabine Lisicki have to retire from her match in the second set but she was losing and would have probably lost anyway. Hopefully, she will be okay for Wimbledon where she made the Final last year.

Men’s Singles Second Round Selected Results

Djokovic (2) beat Chardy 6-1, 6-4, 6-2

Tsonga (13) beat Melzer 6-2, 6-3, 6-4

Federer (4) beat Schwartzman 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Berdych (6) beat Nedovyesov 6-7, 6-4, 7-5, 6-3

Gulbis (18) beat Bagnis 6-2, 7-5, 6-0

Robredo (17) beat De Schepper 6-2, 6-3, 6-3

Stepanek beat Youzhny (15) 6-0, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

Raonic (8) beat Vesely 7-6, 6-4, 6-1

Isner (10) beat Kukushkin 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 7-6

Granollers beat Dolgopolov (20) 1-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2

Women’s Singles Second Round Selected Results

Schmeidlova beat V.Williams (29) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4

Sharapova (7) beat Pironkova 7-5, 6-2

Muguruza beat S.Williams (1) 6-2, 6-2

Townsend beat Cornet (20) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

A. Radwanska (3) beat Pliskova 6-3, 6-4

Kerber (8) beat Lepchenko 6-2, 7-5

Stosur (19) beat Meusburger 6-1, 6-3

Cibulkova (9) beat Paszek 6-3, 6-4

Barthel beat Lisicki (16) 6-1, 3-0 Retired

Suarez Navarro (14) beat Bacsinszky 7-5, 1-6, 6-4

Tomljanovic beat Vesnina (32) 7-6, 6-2

Larsson beat Pennetta (12) 5-7, 6-, 6-2

Bouchard (18) beat Georges 2-6, 6-2, 6-1

Men’s Doubles First Round Selected Results

Peya/Soares (2 )beat Istomin/Rosol 7-5, 6-4

Marrero/Verdasco (4) beat Lamasine/Lokoli 6-4, 6-2

Nestor/Zimonjic (3) beat Ebden/Tursunov 6-2, 3-6, 6-3

Bryan/Bryan (1) beat Emmrich/Kas 6-2, 6-1

Women’s Doubles First Round Selected Results

Peschke/Srebotnik (4) beat Davis/Moulton-Levy 6-1, 6-2

Mixed Doubles First Round Selected Results

Jans-Ignacik/Inglot beat Rosolska/Brunstrom 6-4, 6-4

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French Open (Roland Garros, 2014) Day 3 - First Round

Andy Murray and Heather Watson battle into Second Round

Andy Murray started his French Open campaign with a four sets victory over Golubev. The seventh seed started strongly and raced away in the first set, taking it 6-1. Golubev proved to be more of a handful in the second set but Murray sealed it with a single break. Murray went off his game in the third set which allowed Golubev back into the match as the game went into a fourth set. However, it was Murray who sealed victory after holding onto a break of serve in the fourth set saw the Brit through into the second round. There were wins for Ferrer, Gasquet and Anderson but Karlovic caused a major upset after defeating Dimitrov in straight sets.

Heather Watson progressed into the second round with a hard fought straight sets victory over Strycova. However, there was a major casualty in the women’s draw as second seed Na Li crashed out in the first round after losing in three sets to Mladenovic. It was the Frenchwoman who took the first set 7-5 but Na Li levelled proceedings at one set apiece after claiming the second set 6-3. Amazingly, it was Mladenovic who raced away in the third set and claim a massive scalp, taking it 6-1. Meanwhile, there were wins for Halep, Jankovic and Errani. However, it was a disappointing Grand Slam exit for Wozniacki, who recently split from fiancée Rory McIlroy, crashing out after losing to Wickmayer in three sets.

My Opinion:

It was pleasing to see Murray progress in good form. However, losing the third set showed some weaknesses that may hinder his progress deeper into the tournament but nevertheless, it was important to get through the first round. Gasquet managed to get through what could have been a tough encounter fairly easily, beating Tomic in straight sets whilst David Ferrer progressed unscathed into the second round. There were a couple of upsets as the big serving Ivo Karlovic incredibly knocked out Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets. That was a complete shock to everyone. Almagro and Haas both had to retire from their respective matches which meant that a couple more seeds were taken out of the tournament.

In what turned out to be a good day for British tennis, Heather Watson moved into the second round after overcoming Strycova in straight sets. It was a very competitive match but Watson played really well and hopefully that can spark some form back into the game. There was a major shock as Na Li was knocked out in the first round. Mladenovic had the crowd right behind her and she managed to pull off quite an upset. That result will surely please Serena as one of the few opponents who could give her a match has already been taken out. I had to feel for Wozniacki, who already suffered a terrible week prior to the tournament starting, as she bravely gave it her all but it was just too much for her in the end. Errani and Jankovic both progressed but they needed three sets to get the job done. Halep and Ivanovic were in good form and breezed past their opponents.

Men’s Singles First Round Selected Results

Ferrer (5) beat Sijsling 6-4, 6-3, 6-1

Gasquet (12) beat Tomic 6-2, 6-1, 7-5

Murray (7) beat Golubev 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3

Karlovic beat Dimitrov (11) 6-4, 7-5, 7-6

Zopp beat Haas (16) 2-5 Retired

Anderson (19) beat Robert 7-5, 6-3, 6-4

Sock beat Almagro (21) 5-0 Retired

Women’s Singles First Round Selected Results

Halep (4) beat Kleybanova 6-0, 6-2

Ivanovic (11) beat Garcia 6-1, 6-3

Mladenovic beat Li Na (2) 7-5, 3-6, 6-1

Errani (10) beat Keys 7-5, 3-6, 6-1

Stephens (15) beat Peng 6-4, 7-6

Wickmayer beat Wozniacki (13) 7-6, 4-6, 6-2

Watson beat Strycova 6-3, 6-4

Torro-flor beat Koukalova (30) 7-6, 6-2

Jankovic (6) beat Fichman 5-7, 6-1, 6-3

Men’s Doubles First Round Selected Results

Pavic/Sa beat Skupski/Venus 6-2, 6-3

Gonzalez/Lipsky beat Fleming/Hutchins 7-6, 6-4

Murray/Peers (15) beat Pospisil/Ram 6-1, 4-6, 7-6

Gabashvili/Kukushkin beat Klahn/Skupski 7-6, 6-4

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French Open (Roland Garros, 2014) Day 2 - First Round

Nadal, Djokovic and Sharapova progress into Second Round

Rafael Nadal proved to be too good for Ginepri, coming out with a straight sets victory that only saw the Spaniard lose three games. It was a completely one-sided affair as Nadal meant business. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic eased through into the second round after comfortably defeating Sousa in straight sets. Sousa won more games during each set as the match went on but there was only going to be one winner between the two. There were some big shocks in the men’s draw today as Australian Open champion and third seed, Stanislas Wawrinka was knocked out in the first round by Garcia-Lopez who came out on top 6-0 in the fourth set. Ninth seed Kei Nishikori was also beaten in the first round after losing to Klizan in straight sets.

Petra Kvitova overcame her opponent Diyas in straight sets whilst Maria Sharapova saw off Pervak in comfortable style with a 6-1, 6-2 victory. There were wins for Cibulkova, Pennetta and Lisicki but 17^th seed Roberta Vinci was knocked out in the first round after losing to Parmentier in three sets. Young prodigy Bouchard wasted little time in her straight sets victory after defeating Peer 6-0, 6-2.

My Opinion:

Nadal looked in incredible form and it was an amazing effort from Ginepri to take the three games that he did. Djokovic never looked in trouble and came through with no issues against Sousa. However, the biggest upset of the tournament so far came when third seed Wawrinka was knocked out in four sets against Garcia-Lopez. It was clear to see that Wawrinka had not played too much tennis recently and he paid the heaviest price. I was surprised to see Nishikori bow out in the first round and lose in straight sets to Klizan and disappointed that James Ward was beaten by Tommy Robredo in four sets.

Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova progressed into the second round without any major problems whilst Cibulkova defeated a battling Razzano. There has been a lot of talk and praise for Bouchard and she didn’t disappoint, crushing her way into the second round for the loss of only two games against Peer. The other major upset of the day came when 17^th seed Roberta Vinci was knocked out in three sets against Parmentier. That will most likely see Vinci slide further down the rankings as her strongest surface is on clay.

Men's Singles First Round Selected Results

Djokovic (2) beat Sousa 6-1, 6-2, 6-4

Garcia-lopez beat Wawrinka (3) 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0

Nadal (1) beat Ginepri 6-0, 6-3, 6-0

Klizan beat Nishikori (9) 7-6, 6-1, 6-2

Gulbis (18) beat Kubot 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-1

Robredo (17) beat Ward 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

Fognini (14) beat Beck 6-4, 6-4, 6-1

Gabashvili beat Pospisil (30) 6-4, 6-2, 6-3

Women's Singles First Round Selected Results

Sharapova (7) beat Pervak 6-1, 6-2

Cornet (20) beat Barty 6-2, 6-1

Cibulkova (9) beat Razzano 7-5, 6-0

Kvitova (5) beat Diyas 7-5, 6-2

Stosur (19) beat Puig 6-1, 6-1

Bouchard (19) beat Peer 6-0, 6-2

Lisicki (16) beat Ferro 6-1, 7-5

Parmentier beat Vinci (17) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

Pennetta (12) beat Mayr-Achleitner 6-2, 6-2

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French Open (Roland Garros, 2014) Day 1 - First Round

S. Williams and Federer both progress into Second Round

Roger Federer started his French Open campaign with a straight sets victory over Lacko in comfortable fashion. The French crowd were treated to some delightful tennis from Federer, who came out on top with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over his first round opponent. It was just the way the popular Swiss player would have wanted the first round to go as he seeks a second French Open title. There were wins for Berdych, Raonic, Isner and Tsonga who all progressed seamlessly into the second round without dropping a set. However, 15^th seed Youzhny avoided a first round shock after coming back from two sets down to defeat Carrano Busta in the fifth set.

Serena Williams eased into the second round with a very dominant straight sets victory over Lim. The defending champion only dropped three games after starting her campaign very strongly and in devastating style. Third seed Radwanska progressed into the second round with a dominant victory over Zhang whilst Angelique Kerber cruised past Piter. There was a casualty amongst the seeds as 25^th seed Kanepi crashed out after being beaten 6-1 in the third set to Niculescu.

My Opinion:

No real surprises on the opening day of the 2014 French Open at Roland Garros. Roger Federer eased through whilst the top seeds in the men’s draw all progressed into the second round. However, Youzhny looked to be heading out after losing the first two sets but a great comeback saw the Russian through in the fifth set.

Serena Williams was in good form as she crushed her way past Lim in pretty easy fashion whilst Radwanska cruised her way past Zhang. Kerber and Suarez Navarro both progressed as expected but Kanepi was the first seed of the tournament to be knocked out. After winning the first set, all looked well for Kanepi but Niculescu hit back and claimed the second and third set to cause the first upset.

Men's Singles First Round Selected Results

Federer (4) beat Lacko 6-2, 6-4, 6-2

Tsonga (13) beat Roger-Vasselin 7-6, 7-5, 6-2

Raonic (8) beat Kyrgios 6-3, 7-6, 6-3

Isner (10) beat Herbert 7-6, 7-6, 7-5

Berdych (6) beat Polansky 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Youzhny (15) beat Carrano Busta 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-0

Dolgopolov (20) beat Ramos 7-6, 6-4, 6-1

Women's Singles First Round

 A. Radwanska (3) beat Zhang 6-3, 6-0

S. Williams (1) beat Lim 6-2, 6-1

Kerber (8) beat Piter 6-3, 6-1

Niculescu beat Kanepi (25) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1

Suarez Navarro (14) beat Beygelzimer 7-5, 7-5

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