31/05/2026

/thesuntelegram FOLLOW / Malaysian Paper

ON TELEGRAM m RAM

theSun on Sunday MAY 31, 2026

SPORTS 12 IGA SWIATEK booked her place in the last 16 of the French Open on Friday after the four-time women’s champion beat Magda Linette 6-4, 6 4 on Court Philippe Chatrier, with temperatures set to climb to 35°C later in the day. Third seed Swiatek dug herself out of an early 2-0 hole against the 35th-ranked Linette, who won their most recent meeting at Miami in March. Swiatek broke three times in the opening set to nose ahead, and then surged into a 4-1 lead in the second set. She overcame a stumble as she tried to close it out, before sealing victory to set up an intriguing match-up with the in-form Marta Kostyuk. “It was a good match. I played much better than Miami,” said Swiatek, who moved to appoint Francisco Roig, a longtime coach of Rafael Nadal, in the wake of her loss to Linette two months ago. Kostyuk, the 15th seed, continued her fine

Swiatek books last 16 berth

TRAMLINES

SONMEZ OUTRAGE AFTER ADVERTISING BOARD INJURY

Roland Garros in 2024 when she reached the semifinals. Teichmann, who reached the semifinals in Rabat last week, carried her claycourt momen tum into Roland Garros, demonstrating her prowess on her favourite surface. Despite a resurgent Muchova building a commanding 5-1 lead in the second set, Teichmann mounted a remarkable comeback, combining relentless grit with precise ground strokes to win six games in a row and seal the match. I was not thinking of, oh, I’m going to turn it around like that to do six games in a row, but I was just going point by point, being in the pre sent and it worked out very well,” Teichmann said. “Obviously it’s going to be a tough match,“ she said. “I’m ready, I’m here to play, so I’m look ing forward to it.” – AFP/Agencies

run with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic. She is unbeaten in 15 matches on clay this season following titles in Madrid and Rouen. “Marta is having a great season. She always had a game to play well,” said Swiatek. “So good for her. But I’m going to focus on myself, prepare tactically, as before any other match, and we’ll see.” Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva swept into the last 16 with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Czech 27th seed Marie Bouzkova. The eighth-seeded Andreeva goes on to face Jil Teichmann today for a place in the quar terfinals after the Swiss dazzled against Czech Karolina Muchova, a former French Open run ner-up, winning 6-1, 7-5, making it to the last 16 for the first time since 2022. Andreeva’s best Grand Slam run came at

Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez fired a broadside at French Open organisers yesterday as she was forced to retire injured after tripping on an advertising board during a doubles match. Sonmez only suffered minor injuries but called for the boards to be removed. “I left the court with two stitches and a bruised knee. Thankfully, it wasn’t worse,” Sonmez wrote on social media. “Do we really have to wait until a player is seriously injured before these courtside boards are removed? Player safety must come first.” Her mishap followed that of Belgian Alexander Blockx, who earlier this week with drew from the men’s second round after twisting his ankle on a court cover during practice. Four-time women’s French Open champion Iga Swiatek urged tournament officials to take action to avoid any more injuries. “I didn’t see the incidents, but I heard about them. Obviously if these things happen, there needs to be a reaction,” Swiatek said after reaching the last 16. “On clay court we need more space sometimes because the balls are flying higher,” she added. “I hope they’re going to put them in a different place or just put the adver tising in a different way, because yeah, it’s not safe for sure.” Alexander Zverev brought the curtain down on a dra matic day at the French Open with a late-night 6-4, 6-3, 5-7 6-2 victory over local hope Quentin Halys, to reach a suddenly star-shorn last 16. Zverev broke veteran Halys in the Frenchman’s first service game in all four sets. The German collected a second break to seal the first two. But, with a wide open draw beckoning, Zverev wobbled in the third. Roared on by the late-night crowd, 90th-ranked Halys, who is from the Roland Garros neighbourhood, fought back and, as the clock passed midnight forced a fourth set. Zverev jumped to a 3-0 lead in the fourth set and then broke Halys in a marathon eighth game to win in three hours and 10 minutes. “I knew I just had to stay with my game and I’m going to get my chances and in the fourth set I did,” said Zverev. “I’m very happy I could finish it at 1am not 3am.” In the next round, Zverev will play 106th ranked Dutchman Jesper de Jong, who upset 13th seed Karen Khachanov in five sets. “I hope to give myself the chance to win all the matches I play,” said Zverev. ZVEREV WOBBLES BUT BEATS HALYS

Another one bites the dust Fonseca blasts Djokovic out of French Open after epic comeback

Novak Djokovic (left) congratulates Joao Fonseca after their third round match at the French Open in Paris yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

BRAZILIAN TEENAGER Joao Fonseca knocked Novak Djokovic out in the third round of the French Open yesterday to scupper the Serbian great’s latest quest for a record 25th Grand Slam. Fonseca, 19, rallied from two sets down for the second straight match to stun the 39-year-old Djokovic with a phenomenal dis play of power-hitting. Fonseca triumphed 4-6, 4-6, 6 3, 7-5, 7-5 after four hours and 53 minutes to make the last 16 of a major for the first time. Asked how he kept believing after falling behind, Fonseca replied: “I actually didn’t. I just kept playing and enjoyed being on court. “What an idol we have (in Djokovic) and what a pleasure it was to step on the court against him. “I was just trying to hit the ball as fast as I could. Djokovic doesn’t miss and we still think he’s 20.”

(Zverev), Casper, or whoever,” said Fonseca. “For me it was a great achievement just being able to play my first time round of 16.” A wide open draw could pave the way for Alexander Zverev to get his hands on an elusive Grand Slam trophy. Second seed Zverev, a three time runner-up at the majors including two years ago in Paris, saw off Frenchman Quentin Halys 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 in the night session. Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar outlasted Alex Michelsen 7-6 (7 2), 6-7 (5-7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to extend his best Grand Slam run. Dutchman Jesper de Jong took down 13th seed Karen Khachanov in five sets to also reach the last 16 for the first time. Andrey Rublev beat Nuno Borges in straight sets, while Jakub Mensik dumped out eighth seed Alex de Minaur 0-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. – AFP

Djokovic said of Fonseca. “I don’t think I’ve done much wrong. He was just better.” Fonseca is reluctant to look too far ahead though after his landmark win, his first over a top-five player. He had never before advanced to the second week at a Grand Slam. “That was my first fourth round in my career. I’m just thinking about my next match. For now, I’m just enjoying the moment,” said Fonseca. “I think just 10 minutes after the match I could realise a little bit what I did, what I achieved, how difficult it was, and how amazing it was for me.” Fonseca will next play two time Roland Garros runner-up Casper Ruud, who saved two match points in a 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6 4, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 win over 24th seed Tommy Paul. “Of course, (with) Jannik and Djokovic out, there’s more chances for the guys that are more time on tour, like Sascha

Djokovic’s exit comes a day after the shock elimination of world Mo. 1 and red-hot title favourite Jannik Sinner. It means there will be a first time men’s Grand Slam cham pion this year at the French Open, ending a run of nine suc cessive majors won by Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz. “What an incredible match to be part of,” said Djokovic, who had led by a break early in the final set but was unable to see it through. “Huge credit to Joao for really deserving to win the match. Without a doubt he was the bet ter player in crucial moments.” Djokovic has been stuck on 24 majors since the 2023 US Open and may not get a better chance to add to that haul. Two-time defending champion Alcaraz was already absent in Paris due to injury. “You just have to say well done and congratulate him. He played lights-out tennis,”