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Wales Online
a day ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Queen's tennis crowd brutally boo star as atmosphere turns bitter on TV
Queen's tennis crowd brutally boo star as atmosphere turns bitter on TV Corentin Moutet was already playing against the fans at Queen's as he faced British No. 2 Jacob Fearnley, and matters only got worse when the Frenchman smashed a ball into the stands Corentin Moutet confronted the umpire while 2-5 down in the final set (Image: BBC ) Corentin Moutet, the French qualifier, faced the ire of spectators at the Andy Murray Arena after he angrily hit a ball into the stands. The crowd was already against him, with British No. 2 Jacob Fearnley on the opposite side of the court. However, the atmosphere turned bitter when Moutet, in frustration, struck a ball away after being broken in the decisive third set, leading to a chorus of boos echoing around the centre court at Queen's Club. Subsequently, Moutet received a code violation warning. Moutet is a contentious character on the tour, reports the Express. The world No. 89 has been handed numerous code violations throughout his career and has even been disqualified from matches. He once had his funding withdrawn by the French Tennis Federation. Article continues below His matches are always expected to be dramatic, and this was certainly the case when he took on Fearnley in the second round of the HSBC Championships at Queen's. Moutet, who qualified for the main draw here, managed to force a final set after losing the first. However, after being broken at 1-1 in the third set, he became frustrated and hit a ball away. As Moutet returned to his bench, now trailing by a break, the crowd began to boo. Chair umpire Adel Nour promptly announced a code violation for ball abuse. "Moutet is going to be in all sorts of trouble here," BBC commentator Sam Smith observed. Corentin Moutet of France looks on against Jacob Fearnley of Great Britain (Image: Getty Images ) John Lloyd highlighted the fortune of Moutet not injuring anyone with his shot, remarking: "Certainly made sure he didn't hit anybody in the stands with that ball. He hit that about half a mile away. That was a brilliant passing shot from Fearnley to break there. "Here we go, this one went a long way up. Got to be careful when you do that, I remember Davis Cup with [Denis] Shapovalov. He did that but didn't get the angle right and smacked it straight at the umpire. Immediate default." Smith responded: "The minute you start hitting the ball about, even if it's at the back netting, into the stands, you're in big trouble and that's an automatic warning. Very good umpiring from Adel Nour who has tried to also diffuse the situation. It's always going to be tricky with Corentin on the court." Further tension arose as the world No. 89 received a time violation while serving to stay in the match at 1-5 and snapped at a spectator to "shut up" after being heckled. He fended off match points to remain in contention before challenging the umpire, exclaiming: "Say time violation whenever it's on zero, that's your only job? They are talking to me," in frustration. Article continues below French player Corentin Moutet blasted the umpire after being handed a time violation, saying: "I have three balls in the hand and it's 10 seconds, and then you give me a time violation and you say don't talk to me. What's wrong with you? In sunglasses and you're making the rules, that's funny. I'm running every day three hours and you're telling me what to do. That's crazy. One point I explain it to you and you give me a time violation. Oh my god, this guy is crazy! It's killing me, killing me every day." Following the argument, Fearnley continued and won the match, securing a 6-3 2-6 6-2 victory to advance to the quarter-finals in his first appearance in the tournament. Despite the tension on court, Moutet showed good sportsmanship by shaking hands with his opponent at the end.
New York Post
07-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Teary Aryna Sabalenka bluntly apologizes for ‘terrible' performance in French Open loss
Aryna Sabalenka is not one to keep her emotions hidden. The Belarusian superstar lets her big game do most of the talking, but she's a boisterous force on court, which has made her one of the most beloved figures in the sport. Sometimes, Sabalenka's emotions are her best friend, allowing her to create an almost overwhelming environment for her opponent. But other times, they can be her undoing, like we saw in her 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 defeat to American Coco Gauff in the French Open Final on Saturday. 4 Aryna Sabalenka appears emotional as she speaks to the crowd following her defeat to Coco Gauff in the Women's Singles Final match on Day Fourteen of the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on June 7, 2025 in Paris, France. Getty Images 4 Aryna Sabalenka appears emotional as she speaks to the crowd following her defeat to Coco Gauff. Getty Images The world No. 1 was shot out of a cannon in the match, storming out to a 4-1 lead in the first set, but she came unglued from that point and was never able to get back in control. Gauff, meanwhile, remained a stoic figure, taking advantage of her opponent's turbulent performance. Sabalenka had a stunning 70 unforced errors to Gauff's 30. 4 'Aryna Sabalenka (C) flanked by French Tennis Federation's President Gilles Moretton (L) and Former Belgian tennis player Justine Henin, holds her second-placed trophy. AFP via Getty Images This was especially apparent in the final set, when Sabalenka broke Gauff's serve to get the match back on level terms, only to get broken at love in the next game. It was all Gauff from that point forward. Sabalenka did not mince words in her post-match interview on Court Philippe-Chatrier. 'Honestly, guys,' Sabalenka said while fighting back tears. 'This all hurts so much.' Sabalenka had only dropped one set in the French Open leading up to Saturday's defeat. She will keep her spot atop the WTA rankings, with Gauff sitting as World No. 2. 4 Coco Gauff holding the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophy after winning the French Open women's singles final. Getty Images The three-time Grand Slam champion was able to compose herself for the next minute or so, congratulating Gauff and her team on a well-earned victory, but she welled up again when she turned to her team in the crowd before delivering the most memorable line of the post-match address. 'Thank you to my team for your support. I am sorry for this terrible final. Anyways, thank you, everyone, thank you, as always, I will come back stronger.' Sabalenka was greeted with warm applause throughout the address.
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Business Standard
05-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Infosys launches AI-powered features for fans at Roland-Garros 2025
IT major Infosys, in partnership with the French Tennis Federation (FFT), is introducing new features to provide personalised match analysis and creative content for fans at Roland-Garros 2025. The company said it is applying agentic artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI to create more interactive and tailored digital experiences for tennis fans. 'Sports has been witnessing a tech-fuelled transformation and at Infosys, we are excited to be leading the charge for tennis! Every year we create unique experiences for the Roland-Garros community on the back of our deep tech expertise. As enterprise AI reshapes industries globally, we are thrilled to deploy its power at the tournament,' said Sumit Virmani, global chief marketing officer, Infosys. One of the key features for 2025 is AI Commentary, a tool that delivers real-time match highlights and commentary customised to individual players and games. Built on large language models (LLMs) and agentic AI through multi-agent orchestration, it allows fans to follow point-by-point or game-level summaries for a more engaging and personalised viewing experience. AI stadium lets fans build custom 3D arenas The AI Stadium feature enables fans to create their own 3D virtual tennis environments. By using text-to-image technology and voice prompts, users can design stadiums with themes ranging from futuristic concepts to nature-inspired settings. Generative AI poster challenge Another addition for 2025 is the Generative AI Poster Challenge. Fans can use prompts related to French landmarks, art styles or tennis themes to generate short videos. At the Infosys Fanzone, an LED cube displays these AI-generated posters animated in real time. The challenge follows responsible AI principles and offers rewards such as Roland-Garros tickets and vouchers. Building on past innovations These new tools expand upon Infosys' previous AI developments, including Match Centre, AI Videos and AI-Assisted Journalism. The company stated that these innovations aim to enhance player analysis, fan engagement and the overall tournament experience.
The Print
05-06-2025
- Sport
- The Print
Lois Boisson is the rookie who downed 2 top players. Will she make Grand Slam history?
Of course you don't. In all likelihood, you've never heard it before. Neither had most of the spectators in Paris, nor viewers around the world. Until last week, when the 22-year-old from Dijon, ranked 361 in the world, walked onto the blood red clay courts at Roland–Garros. A fairytale run Boisson waltzed into the semifinals of perhaps the most challenging Grand Slam event in the world on Wednesday night. She brushed aside Mirra Andreeva in the quarters—a player who ranks sixth in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings—in straight sets. And to get there, Boisson had brutally smothered the Grand Slam–winning dreams of the 2024 US Open and WTA tour finalist, No 3 ranked Jessica Pegula, in round four. At the time, Pegula was only the second Top 60 player Boisson had played in her career. Her first was Elise Martins, ranked 24, who became her round one victim earlier in the week. When Boisson beat Andreeva, she also became the first woman since Monica Seles (1989) to beat multiple top 10 players in her Slam debut. Lois Boisson was granted a wild card into the main draw by the French Tennis Federation, as is the norm for home players at each Grand Slam event. The 22-year–old came into the tournament with no pressure or expectations, embracing the opportunity to play in front of her home crowd. But she has made the most of the moment. Make no mistake, as the rounds have gone by, the pressure has only mounted, expectations have climbed, and belief has taken root among fans that something remarkable is unfolding in front of them. A miracle may be around the corner. To call Boisson's entry into the semifinals unexpected would be an understatement—she is the first ever female wild card to reach the semifinals at the French Open in the Open Era. And it gets better. Boisson is only the third woman in the last 40 years to reach a Grand Slam semifinal in her main-draw debut, matching feats by Monica Seles (1989) and Jennifer Capriati (1990), both at Roland–Garros. Both lost their respective semi-final matches, but Seles returned to win the title the following year. Also read: TV news is always enthusiastic about a 'war'—India-Pakistan, Putin-Zelenskyy, Kannada-Tamil Makings of a top player Like a certain Spaniard who has lifted the men's trophy a whopping 14 times, Boisson's game appears to be built for clay. She moves around her backhand to hit her forehand (like Rafael Nadal), and uses a heavy topspin that bites on clay. She also seems to have more time to set up and dictate the points, as gifted players do. And she has displayed characteristics key for sustained success—resilience and grit. Boisson is mentally strong and tactically smart. Against Pegula, she lost the first set and looked completely outplayed. She was hitting too flat, leaving fans in despair. But she didn't give up—even when she was being dominated. She changed her game, using more spin and height to her shots. And the resultant bounce and spin on the clay paid off. Displaying this kind of adaptability mid-match is very unusual for someone with so little top–level experience. But then, that's how champions are made. Will Lois Boisson be one? Time will tell. But comparisons are already being made with Emma Raducanu's remarkable US Open win in 2021. The similarities are striking, and yet clear differences emerge. Raducanu didn't lose a set throughout her qualifying rounds and up to her title. But then, she also didn't really meet and beat the quality of opponents that Boisson has. Raducanu was also ranked 150 at the time of her win, had played top–level opponents a number of times before, and it was her second Grand Slam appearance. Boisson has not had a smooth run. Three of her five matches have gone the distance, and in two of them, she has come back from a set down. Also read: Indian R&D is lagging. Tata Motors is an exception within India Inc A match for the ages Will Boisson go all the way and make history? In the semifinals on Thursday night, she will face No 2 seed Coco Gauff, who won all but one of her matches in this tournament in straight sets. She was a finalist at Roland–Garros in 2022, won the 2023 US Open, and made it to the Australian Open semifinals last year. Gauff has everything going for her: big match experience, the belief that she can win a Grand Slam, and the hunger to place a French Open trophy next to the 2022 runner-up plate on her mantelpiece. But in Boisson, Gauff faces an opponent who will have 68 million voices cheering for her. She will meet a young woman whose confidence has grown every time she has walked onto the clay in the past 10 days. As Gauff prepares to serve tonight, Lois Boisson will perhaps be reminding herself of Napoleon Bonaparte's words: 'Impossible is the word found only in a fool's dictionary. Wise people create opportunities for themselves and make everything possible.' And she will know that this is her opportunity to create Grand Slam history. No pressure. Anindya Dutta is a sports columnist and author of 'Wizards: The Story of Indian Spin Bowling' and 'Advantage India: The Story of Indian Tennis'. He tweets @Cric_Writer. Views are personal. (Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
LeMonde
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
French Open: How Loïs Boisson crushed Mirra Andreeva to reach the semi-finals
Now that Paris Saint-Germain has finally claimed the Champions League title, one question lingers in French sports: Will Ousmane Dembélé manage a double and win the Ballon d'Or, awarded to the season's top footballer? He appears to be the front-runner, but not all Parisians are convinced. From the Philippe-Chatrier court at Roland-Garros, a voice rang out in support of another candidate: "Loïs Ballon d'Or!" shouted a spectator just as Loïs Boisson, her back covered in clay, had barely gotten up, her eyes red with emotion after securing a spot in the French Open semi-finals. Ranked world 361 st, Boisson should not even have been eligible to play in the tournament. But after being granted a wildcard by the French Tennis Federation, the player from Dijon appears determined to stay in Paris for the entire competition. Not content with having already ousted the world No. 3, American Jessica Pegula, on Monday, Boisson added Russian prodigy Mirra Andreeva, ranked 6 th, to her list, defeating her after a battle lasting more than two hours (7-6 [8-6], 6-3). She thus became the first Frenchwoman, since Marion Bartoli in 2011, to reach the final four of the women's tournament on the Parisian clay.
