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India Today
15-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Amit Shah reviews preparation for 2027 Census, official notification out tomorrow
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday reviewed the preparations for the upcoming Census of India in a high-level meeting held in New Delhi. The review was attended by the Union Home Secretary, the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI), and other senior to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the official gazette notification for conducting the Census will be published on June 16. This Census will mark the 16th national Census since its inception and the eighth since India's the preparations for the 16th Census with senior officials. Tomorrow, the gazette notification of the census will be issued. The census will include caste enumeration for the first time. As many as 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors and around 1.3 lakh census functionaries will conduct the operation with cutting-edge mobile digital gadgets," said Amit Shah after the review. The Census will be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, known as the Houselisting Operation (HLO), data regarding housing conditions, household assets, and amenities will be second phase, Population Enumeration (PE), will gather demographic, socio-economic, cultural, and other personal information about every individual residing in the household. For the first time, caste enumeration will also be part of the Census entire Census operation will be conducted digitally using mobile applications. Citizens will also be given the option of self-enumeration through digital platforms. Amit Shah emphasised that strict data protection protocols will be enforced at every stage of the process, including during data collection, transmission, and scale of the operation will be enormous, with the deployment of nearly 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors, along with around 1.3 lakh Census functionaries across the Watch
The Hindu
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
French Open 2025: Carlos Alcaraz pulls off a Houdini act to stun Jannik Sinner in an epic Roland Garros final
With Carlos Alcaraz an undefeated 4-0 in Grand Slam finals and Jannik Sinner 3-0, the boxing catchphrase — 'Somebody's 0 has to go' — applied to the young heavyweight titans of tennis before their eagerly anticipated clash. That was just one of the dynamic elements that would make their spectacular 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) duel the greatest ever at Roland Garros. Staged at a Grand Slam event — where old reputations hang in the balance and new legends are born — the encounter was a battle between contrasting playing styles and personalities — the go-for-broke and entertaining shot-making of the charismatic Spaniard versus the relentless power of the poker-faced Italian. Although Alcaraz had won their last four matches and led their rivalry 7-4, Sinner had captured the previous two Majors, ranked No. 1 for 50 straight weeks, and hadn't dropped a set on the terre battue in six matches, including a semifinal win over Novak Djokovic, the sport's GOAT. Two more elements made the French Open final so riveting that we'll remember it and savour it for years. From the fluctuating, 12-minute opening game in which Sinner escaped three break points to the deciding set match tie-break when Alcaraz blasted his 70th winner — a dazzling forehand passing shot on the dead run — on championship point, the calibre of play was consistently high, sometimes brilliant, and occasionally sublime. As Alcaraz said, 'Today, there were a few moments of the match where, I mean, the level was insane.' Finally, this epic showdown treated the 15,000 Court Philippe-Chatrier spectators and a billion TV viewers to a terrific comeback as the nerveless Alcaraz fended off three championship points in the fourth set and then a taut, unpredictable denouement. The 124th edition of Roland Garros began with a poignant ceremony honouring Rafael Nadal before 10,000 cheering fans, many wearing orange T-shirts with 'Merci' emblazoned on them. Complementing the eye-catching 10-foot, stainless steel statue of the King of Clay were Nadal's footprint and the iconic '14' etched on the red clay of Court Chatrier. Players talented enough to compete on the marquee court can now find inspiration from Rafa's 14 French Open singles titles, a record that will surely never be broken. Alcaraz, who, as a boy, idolised the Spanish legend, said, 'Rafa has destroyed all the records here.' With two RG titles and five overall at age 22, might this brilliant, dedicated athlete who excels on all surfaces someday challenge Nadal's 22 Grand Slam titles? After all, in the short term anyway, Alcaraz will likely have only one superstar rival to contend with, not two as the legendary Big Three had. Further, the gap between the new Big Two and the field keeps growing as Alcaraz and Sinner keep improving. In a nutshell, Alcaraz has become more consistent, and Sinner more versatile. They've divvied up the last six Grand Slam titles since Djokovic, now 38, claimed his 24th and last one at the 2023 US Open. And during these 15 days in Paris, no opponent — seeded or unseeded — seriously threatened either superstar. A dejected Sinner after his loss in the final. | Photo Credit: AP Sinner trounced five opponents on his way to the semifinals. His draw was weakened by the upset losses of No. 5 Jack Draper, No. 9 Alex de Minaur, and No. 19 Jakub Mensik, and the injury withdrawal of No. 14 Arthur Fils, who suffered a stress fracture in his back during his gruelling five-set win over Jaume Munar. In the biggest shockers, No. 62 Alexander Bublik ousted Australian speedster De Minaur 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 and heavy-hitting Englishman Draper 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to become the lowest-ranked man to notch two top-10 wins at a Major since Andrei Medvedev at the 1999 Australian Open. He also made history as the first Kazakhstani man to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal. Bublik, one of the tour's most colourful and extroverted characters, has a 'You won't break me' tattoo and a penchant for entertaining trick shots like half-volley tweeners and underarm serves. Recalling a slump that dropped him to No. 85, Bublik said, 'I wanted to quit. When you have no options, that's how it works. I won Turin, and I was back in the top 50.' At the same time, this career underachiever, now 27 with a wife and three-year-old son, admits, 'If you tell me, Sascha, I'm going to win a Slam, but I can't walk at 40, I won't take it. I prioritise my health.' Musetti no match for Alcaraz The 38-year-old Djokovic also prioritised his health and even wrote a book about it ( Serve to Win: the 14-day Gluten-Free Plan for Physical and Mental Excellence), yet captured a record 24 Grand Slam titles. The ageless wonder breezed to the quarterfinals where he faced No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev. The 6'6' German owns the dubious distinction of being 'the best player never to win a Major title', and his strangely listless performance showed why. After Djokovic prevailed 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to make his 13th French Open semifinal and record 51st at Major events, TNT Sports analyst John McEnroe said, 'It's another amazing display. Zverev isn't in the same league. It's remarkable that he [Djokovic] still wants it this badly.' Seeds fared better in the bottom half of the draw, where seven of them advanced to the quarterfinals. The sole outsider was No. 66 Daniel Altmaier, who upset fourth-seeded Taylor Fritz 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 before 15th-seeded Frances Tiafoe stopped him 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. Tiafoe, whose parents emigrated from Sierra Leone to the US in 1996, became the first American to reach the Roland Garros quarters since Agassi in 1995. Fellow countryman and 12th seed Tommy Paul soon joined Tiafoe after Paul had eliminated No. 24 Karen Khachanov and No. 25 Alexei Popyrin. It was a commendable showing for American men who had an abysmal 1-158 record against top 10 players at the French Open since 2008. That stunning stat increased when Paul, hampered by an abdominal injury and groin pain, took a 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 licking from Alcaraz. 'If this were a boxing match, the referee would stop the fight,' quipped McEnroe. Tiafoe, who enjoyed his best-ever results on European clay this spring and hadn't lost a set in four matches in Paris, could have used Paul's fighting spirit against No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti. After Tiafoe lost the pivotal third set, he played half-heartedly in the fourth set against Musetti, a dogged competitor, and succumbed 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. During the match, Musetti sparked a controversy when in frustration he kicked a ball thrown by a ballboy and it struck a lineswoman in the chest. It apparently inflicted no damage because she had no reaction, and the 23-year-old Italian got off with a warning. Afterwards, the contrite Musetti said, 'Yeah, honestly it was a really unlucky coincidence. Yeah, I was honestly scared, because I really didn't want to harm anybody, of course. So I immediately went to the line umpire, and I of course said, 'Sorry, I apologise to everyone.'' Italy's Lorenzo Musetti was the surprise package this year after reaching the semifinals. | Photo Credit: REUTERS A displeased Tiafoe expected a more severe punishment and complained, 'He did that and nothing happened... Obviously, it's not consistent.' Some agreed, citing Djokovic's ejection from the 2020 US Open after he inadvertently hit a ball that similarly struck but did not hurt a lineswoman. But Sam Querrey, a former top 20 player, expressing the view of others, argued, 'Every scenario should be judged case by case.' Alcaraz, prone to occasional lapses in concentration and consistency, dropped sets in four-set victories over Fabian Marozsan, Damir Dzumhur, and 13th seed Ben Shelton before crushing Paul. The Spanish magician has produced plenty of astounding shots in his young career, but a winner against Shelton was too amazing to be true. Lunging for a backhand volley out of his reach for Shelton's passing shot, Alcaraz threw his racket, which contacted the ball and propelled it just over the net for a fluke winner. Alcaraz honourably informed the umpire what happened — which violated the rules — and she awarded the point to Shelton, giving the American a break point. He also called a serve 'in' that the linesperson had erroneously called otherwise, again resulting in a changed call favouring his opponent. These gestures earned Alcaraz the tournament sportsmanship award in my book. In the semifinals, Alcaraz faced Musetti, whom he had decisively defeated in their last five matches. The immensely talented but relatively light-hitting Italian earned a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics on these courts and racked up a career-best 19-3 record on the European clay court circuit, reaching the final at Monte Carlo and semis at Madrid and Rome. 'Alcaraz has such an MPH advantage in every stroke,' all-time great and Tennis Channel analyst Martina Navratilova said. 'On clay, a [backhand] one-hander has so much trouble against Alcaraz's power.' As the inspired Italian easily held serve for 5-4, Jim Courier, the former No. 1 and TNT Sports analyst, said, 'Musetti can thump backhands and find angles with it. He has the best one-handed backhand now.' Looking rattled, Alcaraz erred on three forehands — his signature weapon — and dropped the first set 6-4. The momentum switched in the second set tie-break when Alcaraz pummelled and broke down Musetti's vulnerable backhand to take it 7-3. After the Spanish maestro held serve at love to go ahead 1-0 in the third set and whacked a forehand winner to start the next game, TNT guest analyst Andre Agassi said, 'Vamos Man is finding the range. He's hitting the ball harder and earlier.' Indeed, he was, and like a battered boxer, Musetti couldn't take much more punishment. Suffering from a painful hamstring injury, he lost 23 of the last 30 points and threw in the towel. The final score: 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 retired. The other and more intriguing semifinal featured the best player in history against the best player now. Could Djokovic defy Father Time one more time against Sinner, a player with a strikingly similar game but 15 years younger? Sinner shows no rust Despite playing only his third tournament of the year due to a three-month drug suspension, Sinner had shown no signs of rust, except perhaps in shot selection during his 7-6 (5), 6-1 loss to Alcaraz in the Rome final three weeks earlier. The Sinner-Djokovic rivalry was deadlocked at 4-4, but the Italian had, tellingly, won their last three matches. From the get-go, Sinner bludgeoned the ball so hard that Djokovic gave precious ground. His average hit point during groundstroke rallies of one foot behind the baseline during his six previous matches increased to 4.5 feet. During the Serb's storied career, he'd been the great adapter and the best at turning defence into offence. But overpowered and out-steadied, Djokovic dropped the opening set 6-4. When Sinner, boldly returning second serves from two feet inside the baseline, broke serve to lead 4-3 in the second set, Djokovic looked dejected. 'Djokovic is playing about as well as he can, and he's starting to see the handwriting on the wall,' said McEnroe, a TNT analyst. Chants of 'Nole! Nole!' revitalised the gallant but ageing Serb. And he finally broke serve for 5-5, ending Sinner's amazing 45 straight holds against the greatest serve returner in tennis history. The breathtaking shot-making that both protagonists made look routine got even better in the critical 11th game, which ended with Sinner's dynamic swinging forehand volley winner. That service break put Sinner ahead 6-5. During the changeover, Djokovic took a three-minute medical time-out, and the physio treated his left thigh. After Sinner held serve to wrap up the second set 7-5, Patrick McEnroe said, 'Now we'll see what Djokovic has left. We know he has the heart. We know he has the will. But does he have the legs?' Djokovic had rebounded from two sets down eight times before, but in the twilight of his 21-year career, this would prove his most daunting challenge. Never the crowd favourite when he faced Roger Federer anywhere and Nadal here, Djokovic became the sentimental favourite, as ageing champions often do. With Sinner serving at 4-5, Djokovic created three set points. The crowd roared after each of them. But Sinner calmly staved them all off. When Djokovic held serve for 6-5 with a 98-mph forehand winner and an ace, the crowd did the wave as a tribute to both competitors. Djokovic hinted he may have played his last French Open this year. | Photo Credit: Getty Images In the tie-break, two backhand errors and a shanked smash into the net gave Sinner a 3-0 lead. This time, chants of 'Nole! Nole!' reverberating around the stadium could not lift the tiring Djokovic. Sinner seized the tie-break 7-3 and won the high-quality, 3-hour and 16-minute match 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3). Djokovic smiled, acknowledged the prolonged applause with a tap to the heart, and thanked the crowd. The three-time French Open champion and four-time runner-up then knelt down and kissed the red clay. Was it a good-bye kiss? He said he didn't know. Summit proportions If there had been any lingering doubts about their total domination, the new Big Two emphatically dispelled them on June 8. This Grand Slam final would be their first against each other and the first between two men born in the 2000s. And it proved to be historic. DraftKings made Alcaraz a slight — 105 betting favourite with Sinner at -120. Those not fortunate to have a ticket could buy one from a scalper for a mere USD 2,200. When Sinner saved his sixth break point in the opening set with a 105-mph forehand winner, an awed John McEnroe said, 'Hitting forehands in triple digits was unheard of not long ago.' Alcaraz countered with a rocket forehand winner to get another break point, which he converted. This was video game tennis on clay, as both players overpowered the sport's slowest surface and often their opponent in rapid-fire exchanges that pushed their racket skills, court speed, and athleticism to almost superhuman limits. The Spaniard lost his concentration in the 10th game, making four unforced errors, to give away the set, 6-4. It was too soon for Alcaraz fans to panic as their hero had lost the first set in four of his last five matches, yet went on to win them all. But they had to worry when Sinner, like a speeding freight train, raced ahead 3-0 in the second set. Alcaraz — desperate for a service break and ignited by chants of 'Carlos! Carlos!' — attacked furiously and forced three Sinner errors to break for 5-4 Sinner. Three more service holds made it 6-all and tiebreak time. Both had excelled in tiebreaks this season with Sinner 6-1 and Alcaraz 9-3. The Italian took this one 7-4 with a blazing cross-court forehand that overpowered Alcaraz's vaunted forehand. Alcaraz was 0-8 after losing the first two sets at a Major. On the other hand, he was a brilliant 12-1 in five-set matches, losing only to Matteo Berrettini at the 2022 Australian Open, while Sinner was 1-5 in his previous six five-setters. Alcaraz vented his frustration at his player box after losing his serve to start the third set. But the tide turned quickly as he broke Sinner's serve three times, the last at love. Alcaraz clinched the 6-4 set with an unreturnable forehand volley into the open court. Time after time, both unleashed haymakers. They had already hammered seven forehands each over 100 mph! Serving at 4-5 in the fourth set, Alcaraz self-destructed with backhand and forehand errors and a double fault. Suddenly, he was down Triple Championship Point! After 5 hours and 29 minutes—the second longest in time for a Grand Slam final—Sinner had won one more point, 193 to 192. But Alcaraz had performed better on the big points, most notably the three championship points. | Photo Credit: Reuters He escaped the first with a strong, deep forehand cross-court that forced a Sinner forehand error. He saved the second when Sinner recklessly overhit a backhand service return past the baseline. And he got lucky on the third when Sinner underhit a mid-court forehand that he should have belted and netted the next forehand. At 40-all, Alcaraz hit an ace and a forehand winner on the dead run to hold serve. Disaster averted! Riding that momentum and increasingly louder cries of 'Carlos! Carlos!' the Spaniard broke for 5-all. 'This is going to be a tall order for Sinner now, even though he's ahead,' said McEnroe. That order became even taller when Alcaraz took the fourth-set tiebreak 7-3 on a forehand approach winner. McEnroe called the great escape 'definitely a Houdini act.' Alcaraz served for the match at 5-4 in the fifth. This time it was Sinner who escaped from the jaws of defeat. He sprinted forward and scraped up a superb Alcaraz drop shot to conjure an even better drop shot that landed inches from the net. That made the score 15-40. The Italian converted the critical break point with a powerful backhand service return that forced a forehand error. Fittingly, two games later, a 10-point Match Tiebreak would decide this epic match. Nobody is better than Alcaraz when he plays his A+ game. Going into lockdown mode and striking the ball better than ever, Alcaraz streaked to a 7-0 lead. The most spectacular and unusual shot came when Sinner struck a solid backhand approach down the line. Anticipating it and displaying the extreme athleticism of a football wide receiver and a baseball shortstop, Alcaraz leapt laterally through no-man's-land, intercepted it, and created a jaw-dropping forehand cross-court volley winner. 'He does the seemingly impossible on the court,' John said. The charismatic Spaniard clinched the match tiebreak 10-2 with yet another super shot — an unforgettable forehand winner à la Nadal — to finish one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history. 'This match had everything,' raved Tracy Austin. 'I can't think of a better Roland Garros final,' said John. 'These guys bring out the best in each other. It's phenomenal,' enthused Navratilova on the riveting rivalry. 'I don't know how you watch that match and don't know tennis is the toughest sport in the world,' declared Querrey. After 5 hours and 29 minutes — the second longest in time for a Grand Slam final — Sinner had won one more point, 193 to 192. But Alcaraz had performed better on the big points, most notably the three championship points. Ultimately, the difference was belief. 'I just believe all the time,' Alcaraz said. 'I never have doubts about myself, even in those match points down. I thought just one point at a time.' During the trophy ceremony, the disconsolate but gracious Sinner said, 'I don't think I will sleep very well tonight.' More upbeat in the media conference later, Sinner said, 'I'm happy to be part of this. Would be even more happy if I would have the big trophy. But you can't change it now. Of course, happy to deliver this kind of level. Happy about the tournament. But obviously this one hurts.' 'Sinner will be back, and I firmly believe he'll win this,' predicted John. Of course he will. That's what champions do. GAUFF OUTDUELS SABALENKA TO WIN FIRST FRENCH OPEN Although Gauff's 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 victory over Sabalenka never matched the men's final in sustained excellence, it certainly did in closeness, unpredictability and excitement. | Photo Credit: Getty Images When Coco Gauff realised she had forgotten to bring her racquets to her first-round match, she quipped, 'The most important thing is to play with a racquet.' Tiafoe, a good friend, teased her about the mishap. 'She was full out shaking her whole bag like it was an empty cookie jar on [Court Philippe] Chatrier. I was like, 'What are you doing?' ... I've never seen someone [ranked No. 2] in the world have zero things in her bag. That was incredible,' said eventual quarterfinalist Tiafoe. 'That kind of thing is so big because it just makes everyone [realise] we're all human. People make mistakes, whether it's the team or her or whatever. That was a funny moment, especially [because] she tries to be Mrs. Mature.' Indeed, Gauff possesses an uncommon maturity. On the court she is an impeccable sportswoman. Off the court she is an eloquent advocate for social justice. The Dream Final, which pitted No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka against No. 2 Gauff, proved once again that tennis entails far more than technique and tactics. TNT Sports and Tennis Channel experts analysed mainly the Xs and Os. 'Sabalenka is playing much better percentage tennis, while still going for her shots,' said all-time great Navratilova. 'Aryna suffocates you [with power] on the court. She's scary,' said 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens. Sabalenka was the DraftKings betting favourite at -225. But Gauff, the 21-year-old American at +175, had her supporters. 'Aryna doesn't like extended rallies that Gauff is capable of doing,' noted former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. 'Clay may be Coco's best surface because of her speed and high-bouncing forehand,' said Austin. The most astute prediction came from three-time Major winner Lindsay Davenport. 'It will come down to the intangibles — who handles the emotions better and who handles the conditions better with the roof open,' she said. As it turned out, those intangibles were closely connected because 27-year-old Sabalenka, the most emotional champion since Serena Williams, was often frustrated and flustered by winds gusting over 30 mph. Aryna Sabalenka, who had beaten the defending champion Iga Swiatek, was the favourite to win the final. | Photo Credit: AP Two finals featuring both the men's and women's No. 1 and No. 2 marked the first time this had happened at any Grand Slam event since the 2013 US Open when Nadal beat Djokovic and Serena Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka. At the French Open, you would have to go back to 1984 for that felicitous and historic scenario. Then Ivan Lendl rallied from a two-set deficit to overcome John in a classic, while Navratilova overpowered arch-rival Chris Evert to become the second woman in the Open Era to simultaneously hold all four Major singles titles. Although Coco Gauff's 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Aryna Sabalenka never matched the men's final in sustained excellence, it certainly did in closeness, unpredictability and excitement. Whether that was due to the windy conditions, nerves in their first Roland-Garros final, or their even rivalry — 1-1 on clay and 5-5 overall — wild fluctuations turned this duel into an intriguing test of will as much as skill. The first set alone saw eight service breaks. Sabalenka, who had won 19 of her last 20 Grand Slam matches, including her stunning 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 semifinal victory over four-time French champion Iga Swiatek, seemed like that same irresistible force when she broke Gauff's serve with a forehand volley winner for 2-1 and a vicious forehand serve return winner for 4-1. When the 5'11' Belarusian power hitter raced to a 40-love lead in the next game, she looked like the same player who steamrolled Swiatek in the final set two days earlier. The same player about whom Tennis Channel analyst Prakash Amritraj said, 'When she plays her best, another player can't beat her.' Unless the other player is Gauff. The resilient American reeled off five straight points to secure her first service break. Two games later, Gauff broke again on her fifth break point with a backhand passing shot that the rattled Sabalenka misjudged and let go by. During the huge momentum swing, Sabalenka swept 16 of the first 23 points, while Gauff grabbed 14 of the next 20. Gauff's fighting spirit With Sabalenka serving for the set at 5-4, Gauff escaped two set points and then broke serve on her fifth break point. 'That's the fighting spirit we've known so well from Gauff,' said Davenport. The topsy-turvy set had two more service breaks. Sabalenka raised her arms in exultation after a forehand volley winner put her briefly ahead 6-5. In the next game on break point, Gauff countered with the shot of the match. The Florida Flash sprinted to a Sabalenka overhead and drilled a sensational backhand down-the-line passing shot winner. No lead was safe. In the tie-break, Gauff raced to a 4-1 advantage highlighted by two backhand winners. Sabalenka responded, showing off her power and finesse to seize the last four points with winners. An 84-mph backhand service return made it 4-5, a ferocious down-the-line backhand 5-5, a cross-court forehand volley 6-5, and a feathery forehand drop volley 7-5. But Gauff had seen this movie before. Even starred in it. She had lost the opening set in the 2023 US Open final against Sabalenka and pulled the match out in three thrilling sets for her first Grand Slam crown. Gauff knew that if she could once again find the right balance between high-percentage offence and point-prolonging defence, she could induce many more errors from Sabalenka. As Stephens colourfully put it before the final, 'Coco needs to run for her life, Aryna needs to keep her head.' Gauff's shot variety and foot speed broke down Sabalenka's power-ball game and poise. | Photo Credit: AFP The momentum shifted again. Gauff's improved Western forehand delivered a cross-court winner for a service break and 1-0 lead. When she held serve at love for 2-0, Sabalenka started fuming and vented to her camp. Were the ghosts of heart-breaking three-set losses at Majors — such as that US Open final and the Australian Open final in January to Madison Keys — haunting her now? Gauff's shot variety and foot speed were breaking down Sabalenka's power-ball game and poise. Sabalenka managed a service break but still trailed 4-2 in the second set. Then Gauff poured it on, taking eight straight points, the last on a put-away overhead, to wrap up the 6-2 set. 'Sabalenka has been all over the place,' said Davenport. 'Let's see if she can dominate play and look like the No. 1.' If history were any guide, Sabalenka had reason to worry. Before the final, she was a mediocre 17-17 in three-set matches at Majors compared to Gauff's splendid 17-6, In fact, Gauff was 10-2 since the start of 2023. Benefitting from in-match coaching, Gauff moved forward from four feet behind the baseline in the first set to two feet inside it thereafter to win eight of the next 11 games. The positional pressure worked. The Belarusian blinked first in the deciding set, double faulting to lose her serve and fall behind 2-1. Yelling in Russian at her camp seemed to help as she broke back for 3-all. But a boomerang break — at love! — put Gauff ahead for good at 4-3. Minutes later, the discombobulated Sabalenka made three unforced errors to wind up Gauff's 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 triumph. Gauff fell onto her back, hopped up to shake hands with Sabalenka, and shed tears of joy, relief and satisfaction on her chair. During the trophy presentation, Sabalenka, with tears flowing, tried to compose herself as she praised Gauff, thanked her team, and apologised, 'I'm sorry for this terrible final.' 'Coco stayed so calm and positive through so many twists and turns,' summed up Davenport. In sharp contrast, noted Stephens, 'Aryna did not control any emotions, and that lost her the match. It wasn't about tennis. She battled herself and Coco.' Despite the disappointing final, Sabalenka had much to be proud of during her best Roland-Garros performance. The Belarusian Basher powered through a draw much tougher than Gauff's with convincing wins over resurgent No. 16 Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-3, who had beaten Sabalenka in five of their previous seven matches, No. 8 and Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen 7-6(3), 6-3, and the Queen of Clay, Swiatek. No stone unturned Swiatek led Sabalenka in their rivalry, 8-4 and 5-1 on clay. But those stats were misleading because the 23-year-old Pole hadn't won a tournament since taking her fourth Roland-Garros title a year ago, and her ranking dropped to No. 5. Swiatek changed coaches, hiring highly regarded Wim Fisette, but still played a predictable one-dimensional baseline game built around her superb forehand and foot speed. Conversely, Sabalenka left no stone unturned to add to her intimidating power game. 'She's incorporated drop shots, slices, she comes to the net more, she has more variety,' noted seven-time French Open champion Chris Evert. 'She also has a better attitude when she's in trouble,' said Mary Joe Fernandez, a TNT analyst. Sabalenka, who had broken Swiatek's serve just 10 times in their 12 previous matches, easily broke the Pole three straight times with a barrage of winners to surge ahead 4-1. Swiatek fought back with three service breaks to force a tie-break only to have Sabalenka crush her 7-1. Sabalenka overwhelmed Iga Swiatek 6-0 in the final set of their semifinal clash. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Flattening out her forehand from an average of 3,073 rpm in the first set to 2,360 in the second set and returning Sabalenka's big serves aggressively, Swiatek captured the second set 6-4. First-strike tennis paid off handsomely. Alas, Swiatek couldn't slug it out anymore against a natural slugger during the deciding set. In the most dominating set of the year between elite players, Sabalenka overwhelmed and dethroned Swiatek 6-0, winning 24 of 30 points. 'To win the set 6-0 against Iga on clay is something out of my mind,' admitted Sabalenka, who ended Swiatek's 26-match winning streak at Roland-Garros and became the first player to defeat her twice on clay. Stephens assessed the impressive triumph in more personal terms. 'Sabalenka is a very vengeful person. She's going for blood, as she said against Zheng.' Keys, the surprise Australian Open champion, gave Gauff her toughest challenge before the final. Despite 41 unforced errors versus just 15 winners, Gauff prevailed 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1 by 'winning ugly', something her former coach Brad Gilbert used to take pride in. Her relentless determination and running game — a vacuum cleaner defence — induced many of Keys' 60 unforced errors. 'It's just I have always had that in me, and not just in tennis but in everything. I'm a very competitive person,' explained Gauff. 'My philosophy is if I can just leave it all out there, then the loss will hurt a lot less than regrets of maybe not giving it your all.' Led by Gauff, Keys, and Frances Tiafoe in singles, for the first time in tennis history, an African American made the quarterfinals (or better) in all five of the professional events — men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles — at a single Grand Slam tournament. If you hadn't heard of Lois Boisson before the French Open, you weren't the only one. A wild card ranked a lowly No. 361, Boisson made her Tour-level debut at Rouen in May and her Grand Slam debut in Paris. The 22-year-old Frenchwoman made the most of it by streaking all the way to the semifinals. Her fairytale fortnight started in the first round when she upset 24th-seeded Belgian veteran Elise Mertens 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Parlaying a devastating topspin forehand, blazing speed, deft volleys, and exceptional touch shots to offset a weak backhand, she then shocked a nervous No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 and 18-year-old sensation and No. 6 Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (6), 6-3. The Russian became so frustrated at 3-all from the raucous hometown fans that she whacked a ball into the crowd, which rained her with a chorus of boos. Lois Boisson. | Photo Credit: AFP Boisson, a hidden talent with a style reminiscent of Samantha Stosur, the former US Open winner and French Open runner-up, was sidelined for nine months with a torn ACL. She returned to competition in April. Fearless in the big moments, the muscular, 5'9' Boisson became just the third woman — after teen phenoms Jennifer Capriati and Monica Seles — to make the semifinals in her debut Major. 'I think every kid who plays tennis has the dream to win a Slam,' said Boisson. '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 semifinal.' Gauff ended her Cinderella story with an emphatic 6-1, 6-2 victory over the 500-1 pre-tournament long shot. Like a savvy veteran, she attacked Boisson's vulnerable backhand — an erratic two-hander and a soft slice one-hander — and blocked out the stentorian crowd. Gauff copied a trick Djokovic used when he played crowd favourites. 'Actually, when you guys were chanting her name, I was saying to myself my name, just to psych myself out.' As Gauff has done ever since she burst on the scene as a precocious 15-year-old upsetting Venus Williams at Wimbledon to make the round of 16 in her Grand Slam main draw debut, she set more 'youngest records' at Roland-Garros. Gauff became the youngest to win Major women's titles on multiple surfaces since Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004 and the US Open in 2006 as well as the youngest American to win the singles title at Roland-Garros since Serena Williams in 2002. Evert, a teen queen who won 18 singles Majors during her 19-year career, believes 'Mrs Maturity', as Tiafoe calls her, 'will win 10, 12, 14 Majors. She's so much more mature than a 21-year-old. She's more like 25, 26.'
USA Today
13-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Top 10 injury news of the Lions 2024 season No. 8: Christian Mahogany's delayed debut
Top 10 injury news of the Lions 2024 season No. 8: Christian Mahogany's delayed debut Mahogany had mononucleosis that wiped out over half his rookie season Christian Mahogany among guards in Week 16: 🦁 76.2 PFF grade (T-9th) 🦁 82.5 pass-blocking grade (9th) 🦁 33 pass-blocking snaps 🦁 1 pressure allowed — PFF DET Lions (@PFF_Lions) December 24, 2024 Christian Mahogany was drafted in the 6th-round of the 2024 draft with the hopes he would challenge for a backup role at offensive guard behind the two entrenched starters Graham Glasgow and Kevin Zeitler. However, an unexpected illness delayed his debut in the NFL. Medical history Immediately before training camp started, Mahogany was diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis (aka mono). While mono is rarely a serious issue, it can keep a player out of action for a while due to splenomegaly. See my full article detailing the infection here. Impact on season The mono kept him out all of training camp and landed him on the NFI (non football injury) list to start the season. His practice window did not open until October 8 (week 5). His first appearance in a game wasn't until November 24 (week 12) when he played four special teams snaps. For a rookie to miss all of camp and a large portion of the early season, it seemed a long-shot for him to find an impactful role on the team due to both physical and mental preparedness. Thus, it was surprising that he made an appearance as the primary OG backup on December 5 (week 14) when starting RG Kevin Zeitler left briefly for a suspected eye issue. Two games later on December 22 (week 16) vs the Bears, Mahogany made his big debut when he started and played 100% of offensive snaps due to a Graham Glasgow injury. His performance was impressive - especially since he had missed so much time earlier in the year. Here he is at LG showing nimble feet in that game against the Bears... Very impressed from what I've seen from Lions LG 73 Christian Mahogany. Watch him on this zone run as he gets to the play side LB. Very good quickness and pad level to the second level. I believe he's supposed to block the backside LB but either way, he's impressive! #OnePride — Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) December 23, 2024 Mahogany followed up his regular season performance with another good starting performance in the playoffs when he played the entire game due to a Zeitler hamstring injury. Salary cap implications Going into the 2025 season, there are high hopes that Mahogany can take over a starting OG position. From a financial perspective, a 6th-round starter on the offensive line would be a huge benefit to the Lions salary cap. For comparison: Graham Glasgow signed a 3-year, $20 million contract to start at LG last offseason. Kevin Zeitler signed a 1-year, $6 million contract to start at RG last offseason. This offseason as an unrestricted free agent, he signed a 1-year, $9 million contract with the Titans. Trey Smith, OG of the Kansas City Chiefs, was recently franchise tagged at $23.4 million. Meanwhile, the 2025 cap hit for Mahogany will be less than $1 million as he enters the second year of his 4-year, $4.2 million rookie deal. With players like Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta worthy of big extensions, every saved dollar matters. Outlook While the rookie debut was a good beginning, there are some question marks for Mahogany going forward. He only started two games all year so is far from proven yet. Medically, he has a history of a right ACL tear in 2022 and was playing with a right knee brace all last season for unknown reasons. The knee brace raises concerns there is a chronic knee issue that could cause problems over a long 17+ game season. Despite the concerns, there is plenty of optimism for Mahogany going into the next season. He was able to overcome an infection that sidelined him for months to become a quality, fill-in starter down the stretch. Last year's starting RG, Kevin Zeitler, left for the Titans in free agency this offseason opening the door for Mahogany to step through. This door was blown off the hinges when Frank Ragnow retired. During OTA two weeks ago, Mahogany was starting at the LG position with 2nd-round rookie Tate Ratledge at center and Glasgow at RG. Early indications are that Mahogany is in pole position to become a starter in 2025.
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rockets analyst Ryan Hollins on potential Kevin Durant deal: ‘KD would fit in beautifully'
Rockets analyst Ryan Hollins on potential Kevin Durant deal: 'KD would fit in beautifully' Ryan Hollins on a potential Kevin Durant trade: 'KD would fit in beautifully, and I believe he already has a relationship with Ime (Udoka). There's a high level of respect for him from our guys.' 'Ime is a ten.' 💯 Ex-NBA vet @TheRyanHollins breaks down Houston's rise, KD & Giannis rumors, and why the Rockets are built to win ugly. Read the full interview: via @LandonBuford — RG (@TheRGMedia) June 10, 2025 Rockets analyst Ryan Hollins knows the NBA, having played in the league for a decade. And Hollins also knows its current landscape, as he will soon begin his fifth season as Houston's in-game analyst for Space City Home Network, its regional television broadcast home. With reports emerging in recent days that Houston is among the leading trade suitors for Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, Hollins didn't mince words regarding the possibility. In an interview with Landon Buford of RG, Hollins said of the talks: Kevin Durant, man, he's electric. When you get to those big moments, do you have enough firepower to execute? Do you trust your young talent to get you there, or do you bring in someone like KD... who you know can win championships? KD would fit in beautifully, and I believe he already has a relationship with Ime (Udoka, head coach) from their time in Brooklyn. There's a high level of respect for him from our guys. The question, however, is what a trade would look like. To Durant's credit, Hollins believes that the 15-time NBA All-Star is aware of that — and he doesn't want to excessively strip his new team of its talent in such a deal. 'He wants to be fair, to both teams and organizations,' said Hollins, whose playing career (2006-07 to 2015-16) featured quite a few matchups against Durant (2007-08 to present). 'That says a lot about him.' A 6-foot-11 forward, Durant averaged 26.6 points (52.7% FG, 43.0% on 3-pointers), 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 62 games last season. The former Most Valuable Player (MVP) and two-time NBA Finals MVP is now 36 years old, and his current contract runs through next season. More: ESPN lists Rockets first among potential Kevin Durant trade suitors with Suns
Hindustan Times
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
The story of Roland Garros' terre battue
One of the many factors that made the Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner Roland Garros final remarkable was its duration: 5h29m. Before Sunday, the longest French Open final was 4h24min, Mats Wilander v Guillermo Vilas, an hour and five minutes shorter. Rafa's longest final lasted 3h49m vs Novak Djokovic in 2012, his longest match at the venue 4h 53m, vs Paul Henri Mathieu, fourth round 2006. What Sinner and Alcaraz did was give to their audience over an unusually lengthy period of time an exhibition of cut-glass shot-making and creativity on a surface that demands precision quality at every exchange. Clay is the most bruising of tennis surfaces because it blunts power, reduces the serve to an opening salvo and offers at least a semblance of a level playing field to the hard-running counter-puncher. Every stroke, every rally, every game is a ceaseless inquisition. Over footspeed and aglity, awareness of court geometry, control of stroke play over shoulder and at ankle, and endurance of muscle, heart and lung. The fine powder of Roland Garros' brilliant orange, the 'terre battue', its crushed earth ends up everywhere. On the players' clothes, caking their bodies following tumbles and slides and lunges during play. It is rumoured that some of this magic powder dust may even have found its way into bloodstream. In the RG merchandise store, not only does the colour dominate every product, 'authentic' powdered clay has also been packed into keychains (15 & 25 euros) and there's a 15 euro 'snow globe' which upon shaking produces a 'clay storm' confetti over the Chatrier court. There's more that lies beneath the clay, says David Rebuffet assistant court maintenance manager in the French Tennis Federations' (FFT) operations department. He explains the transverse layers that make up Roland Garros' five-layer 80cm thick block of the courts : 'there are big stones at the bottom, then gravel, bottom ash (from coal residue) and lime stone.' And with glee, this, 'The red clay you see on top? that's just a 2 millimeter layer of crushed brick.' Two mm has no context until says it is the thickness of a standard matchstick. That's all the layer of the clay/ mud/ crushed brick at the top of Roland Garros. This is an incongruous omnipresence. But the 2mm crushed brick is not a show-stopper made of tissue paper. It is in fact the polish without which there would be no shine. At Roland Garros, the width of the match stick makes for a surface which has some 'give' for tennis' unique sideways movement, which can explore and maximise the geometry of the court. Without it no slide, no mark, no kick, no exaggerated spin, no fadeaway drop shot. Every morning at the Roland Garros, the thin layer of crushed brick is swept to clear what has been churned up 'from the day before.' The ground staff then use a large version of the squeegee, (aka think very large versions of the bathroom wiper) 'brush the court and get rid of small piles of play.' The purpose is to get rid of any possible bad bounces during play. Then a new layer of the 2mm clay/ crushed brick is spread over the court, with its final process being the watering of the court. Watering, says Rebuffet, is vital at the two ends of the day 'it helps keep the court nice and humid which is good for a proper playing surface.' In Christopher Clarey's recently-released layered and detailed 'The Warrior: Rafa Nadal and his Kingdom of Clay', there is a chapter called The Canvas. It delves deep into clay courts around the world and then zooms in on Roland Garros. The chapter closes with an astonishing story of the brickworks that make the Roland Garros clay. Defective bricks - 'chipped or cracked …not suitable for construction' arrive from a brickworks in a region near Lille and the border of Belgium to a factory in a town called Pontpoint. Two men operate a sixty-year-old grinding machine which crushes the bad bricks into powder with particles down to one-tenth of a mm in diameter. This clay which is found at Roland Garros is also sent to other tennis clubs in France and as The Warrior tells us exported to other countries too. There's really no telling how far dust can travel. Unlike Wimbledon, Roland Garros is not a private club. It is the HQ of the French Tennis Federation and their training centre. Rebuffet says there are 'events and competitions' on the courts during the summer and autumn, 'as well as training sessions for professional players and young athletes from the French training center.' The outer courts are opened until the beginning of winter, (it) 'depends on the weather conditions.' Chatrier can be used until the end of January 'covered and protected' from the frost. (At Wimbledon, the Centre Court is only used during their biggest fortnight but otherwise stays inactive all year round.) The courts are worked on between training sessions and the centre runs as good as all year around barring a few months in the winter. As a rule, the outer courts are closed from early November to late March, no events, no training. In this time, Rebuffet says, they are 'exposed to rain and above all, frost to naturally decompact the limestone layer.' From end March till May, the courts are again prepared one at a time and opened for training 'at the same pace.' Through the spring, three show courts plus the fourteen outer courts are steadily revealed in an ever-expanding grand stage set. They lie in wait for their multi-national cast of characters to arrive all at once and throw themselves into Paris' annual ochre opera.
