Who said what: French Open day 11
Key quotes from the 11th day of the French Open at Roland Garros on Wednesday:
"I think every kid who plays tennis has the dream to win a Slam. More for French players to win Roland Garros, for sure. So, yeah, it's a dream. For sure I will go for the dream, because my dream is to win it, not to be in the semi-final."
Advertisement
-- French world number 361 Lois Boisson is not resting on her laurels after a stunning quarter-final victory over Mirra Andreeva.
"It's going to be pretty interesting to watch and to see who's gonna be the winner in the end of this week. I don't know. I think if maybe she believes in herself enough, maybe she can, but I don't know. For me it's just tough to say, you know, sitting here."
-- Andreeva on the title chances of her surprise conqueror.
"Simone Biles, I think she just pushes herself. To me that's crazy, because in tennis we had Rafa and Roger and Novak all pushing each other, but in gymnastics she kind of doesn't really have anyone. The fact she is able to move that needle against herself I think is pretty cool."
Advertisement
-- Coco Gauff on being inspired by gymnastics superstar Simone Biles.
"I'd put New York second, London/Wimbledon third, and Paris last. Sorry, guys."
-- Madison Keys on which Grand Slam host city has the best coffee.
"Lois, Ballon d'Or!."
-- A fan in the crowd during the new home favourite's on-court interview.
"There are so many big tournaments coming up. Maybe we can make that happen one day. But I just wish him only the best. You know, stay healthy, to be relaxed."
-- Jannik Sinner on the possibility of an all-Italian final against Lorenzo Musetti.
"How am I going to stop him? I don't think about that. I think about how am I going to execute what I want on the court and feel how I want to feel. That's where my thoughts are going.
Advertisement
"But these kind of match-ups and challenges in a way extract the best out of me. You know, playing best-of-five, you know, late stages of a Grand Slam against No. 1 in the world is, you know, you can't get more motivated than that for me at this age."
-- 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic is already eyeing up his semi-final with top seed Sinner.
"I think at the moment he's a bit underrated, to be honest... I think like a lot of people count him out already, but this year he's had wins over Carlos (Alcaraz) at the Australian Open, he has had a win over me at the French Open. Forget the age. I think for any player, those are pretty good results.
"He's still beating the best of the best, so I think everybody needs to respect that."
-- Alexander Zverev on 38-year-old Djokovic's longevity.
afp

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Lehecka stuns Draper to reach Queen's final
Czech world number 30 Jiri Lehecka stunned Britain's Jack Draper to reach the Queen's Club final with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory on Saturday. Lehecka blasted 36 winners and hit 16 aces to end Draper's bid for a maiden final appearance at the Wimbledon warm-up event in west London. Advertisement The 23-year-old will face French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz or Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut in Sunday's final. "It means a lot. You don't meet a player like Jack every day, he's an amazing competitor," Lehecka said. "It's not easy to use my serve (on grass) but I've been working on it for the last few weeks. I'm happy with it." Draper was hoping to become the first British singles champion at Queen's since five-time winner Andy Murray's most recent victory in 2016. After booking his spot in the semi-finals Draper revealed he had held the Queen's trophy as a child around 12 years ago. Advertisement But Draper, ranked sixth in the world, will have to wait at least another year to get his hands back on the silverware after producing an unusually error-strewn display in sweltering conditions. Lehecka had already ended the hopes of one Briton at Queen's after beating Jacob Fearnley in the quarter-finals on Friday. The 23-year-old also defeated world number 12 Alex de Minaur in his opening match of the tournament, but knocking out Draper was his biggest scalp yet. Draper's careless double-fault gifted Lehecka a break in the opening game of the first set. The ice-cool Lehecka ignored the searing temperatures as he cruised through the rest of the set. Advertisement Draper needed to apply pressure on Lehecka to get back in the match and he did exactly that in the fourth game of the second set. Even then, Lehecka staved off four break points and repelled another in the sixth. But Draper kept slugging away from the baseline and finally landed a big blow with a winner down the line on set point. Rock legend and avid tennis fan Jon Bon Jovi, watching in the stands, rose from his seat to salute Draper's gritty fightback. Draper had been living on a prayer for two sets and his luck ran out in the 11th game of the deciding set when Lehecka crushed a backhand winner to break. Smashing his racquet into the advertising boards in frustration, Draper couldn't muster a response and Lehecka was soon celebrating his memorable success. smg/pi
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Arsenal plot raid for Real Madrid frontman after top target chooses Barcelona
Arsenal have been among the clubs who were tracking Nico Williams for the past few weeks. But everything suggests the player could be on his way to Barcelona this summer. This is why Arsenal have shifted their priorities in the market and may instead go for a Real Madrid frontman. Arsenal eye move for Rodrygo According to AS, Arsena's search for a new attacker has led them towards Rodrygo. Advertisement The Brazilian international is one of the few Real Madrid players who are in contention to leave the club after a disappointing season and a poor performance in the opening Club World Cup match. Rodrygo has found himself in a precarious position this summer, where if he fails to convince Xabi Alonso, he might be in for a reduced role in the Real Madrid setup. Arsenal have set their sights on Rodrygo (Photo by) That has put Arsenal on red alert, with Mikel Arteta reportedly keen on bringing in players that can offer versatility in the final third. Rodrygo, to that end, could be a perfect bet. Arsenal expect many hurdles However, Arsenal have accepted the signing Rodrygo from Real Madrid won't be as straightforward. Advertisement The Premier League giants are having difficulties meeting the high salary demand of key attackers. This was the problem in the Nico Williams deal and there is no reason why Rodrygo, too, will not also demand a similar package. The report adds that Arsenal are not necessary the top choice for top players across Europe and even though the Gunners are playing in the Champions League, Rodrygo might want to weigh his options. For now, though, the Brazilian remains focused on the Club World Cup, where he will have an opportunity to impress Xabi Alonso.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jobe Bellingham speaks on hesitance of joining Borussia Dortmund
New Borussia Dortmund signing Jobe Bellingham ultimately didn't end up earning a predicted start for his new Bundesliga club in Tuesday's Club World Cup opener. The 19-year-old nevertheless logged some significant minutes off the bench and had a solid BVB debut. Not long after BVB head coach Niko Kovac sent him on in the 59th minute, Bellingham engaged in a courageous tackle near the touchline. Bellingham's touch and overall field vision appeared strong. A 93 percent passing rate included some cautious rearward balls, but also some incisive forward slants. Advertisement Speaking at the press conference ahead of the second group stage match of the competition, Kovac answered a direct question as to why Bellingham didn't start. A reporter probed Kovac for the coach's thoughts on the teenager's fitness. 'His fitness is okay, but he still needs some time,' Kovac said. 'I wouldn't have any nervous qualms about bringing him on. Quite the opposite. It's just that we have several good midfielders. I'll leave it open for a start tomorrow [against South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns]. That's information that belongs to me.' For his part, Bellingham himself felt as if his chance wouldn't be long in coming. The younger brother of mega-talent Jude Bellingham – who actually wears 'Jobe' on the back of his Dortmund tricot – spoke on his debut and revealed an interesting detail about his recent switch to the Bundesliga. Jobe clearly didn't wish to by a Jude copycat, following in the direct footsteps of his elder sibling like some sort of afterthought. Ultimately, BVB boss Hans-Joachim 'Acki' Watzke found the right words. Advertisement 'To be honest, it was kind of surreal, a bit strange because it was in the U.S.' Bellingham told German broadcaster DAZN. 'The stadium was unique, I'd never been there before. And I felt comfortable on the pitch. 'As contradictory as it might sound, I resisted Dortmund for a long time,' Bellingham continued when asked about his decision to move to Dortmund. 'It was a matter of fearing not being my own man. 'It would have been just as wrong to go to another club just because Jude went there,' Bellingham said. 'but [Watzke] said it was not about being different, but finding the right path. 'And if the right path is Dortmund – as it is for many young players – then why not?' Bellingham concluded. 'Dortmund fought long and hard to convince me.' GGFN | Peter Weis