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A14 sports
Saturday 4 June 2022
Can Gauff top Swiatek? At Surprise Slam, anything can happen

PARIS (AP) — Even Coco also this: Of those with only
Gauff looked ahead to her one Grand Slam title, more
French Open final against players attained that status
Iga Swiatek and conclud- at Roland Garros, 21 — 11
ed: "She's definitely the fa- women, 10 men — than
vorite going into the match, at any of the other majors.
on paper." It's happened a total of 12
In an interview last week- times at the U.S. Open (six
end, Swiatek's sports psy- women, six men), 11 at
chologist, Daria Abramo- the Australian Open (five
wicz, saw the way the women, six men), eight at
bracket was developing Wimbledon (four women,
and spoke of her client "be- four men).
ing — let's not lie — a clear And it's not just the out-of-
favorite" to leave Court nowhere champions that
Philippe Chatrier with the From the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, top from left; Garbine Muguruza holds the trophy make the French Open
trophy on Saturday. after defeating Serena Williams, Saturday, June 4, 2016; Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko kisses the cup unique. After all, for all of
Makes sense, right? Swi- after defeating Romania's Simona Halep, Saturday, June 10, 2017; Romania's Simona Halep kisses the Ostapenkos, Albert
atek is ranked No. 1, on a the trophy after defeating Sloane Stephens, Saturday, June 9, 2018. Bottom from left: Australia's Costas and Gaston Gau-
34-match winning streak Ashleigh Barty kisses the trophy after defeating Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, Sat- dios in these parts, there
and a past champion at urday, June 8, 2019; Poland's Iga Swiatek kisses the trophy after defeating Sofia Kenin, Saturday, have been the Emma Ra-
the place. Gauff is still just Oct. 10, 2020; Barbora Krejcikova kisses the trophy after defeating Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchen- ducanus, Marion Barto-
kova, Saturday, June 12, 2021. Each of the past six women to win the trophy at Roland Garros had
18, making her the young- never won a Slam title – some had never won a title anywhere. lis, Richard Krajiceks and
est major finalist since 2004, Associated Press Thomas Johanssons else-
is ranked 23rd, owned a 14- where. But it's also the sort
10 record in 2022 until last 2010 French Open when Scan the lists of titlists since Ostapenko (2017), Simona of round-by-round uncer-
week and never previously she became, at 29, the tennis' professional era be- Halep (2018), Ash Barty tainty at Roland Garros
made it beyond the quar- oldest woman since 1969 gan in 1968, and you'll find (2019), Swiatek (2020) and that leads to "Who's that?"
terfinals at a Grand Slam to win her first Grand Slam more people who collect- Barbora Krejcikova (2021). male runners-up such as
tournament. title. "Every match is 50-50." ed a first major champion- "The tournament is smaller, Martin Verkerk in 2003 or
Then again, Roland Garros, Put aside one absolute ab- ship at the French Open, it's more cozy," Halep said, low-ranked female semifi-
with its fickle red clay and erration by the name of 42 — 21 women, 21 men — "so I feel like most of the nalists like No. 59 Martina
springtime weather, is the Rafael Nadal — he of the than the U.S. Open's 28 (13 players feel that a Grand Trevisan this year, No. 85
Surprise Slam, one with a 111-3 career record and women, 15 men), Austra- Slam is more within reach Tamara Zidansek last year
long history of smiling upon 13 championships on the lian Open's 24 (13 women, there." and No. 131 Nadia Podo-
those who arrive low-seed- rust-colored courts made 11 men) or Wimbledon's 18 Consider, too, that if Swi- roska in 2020.
ed or inexperienced, un- of "terre battue" and head- (nine women, nine men). atek does win, she would Day 1 this year saw exits
heralded or unknown, yet ed to another final Sunday On Saturday, Gauff could be just the third woman in for Muguruza and No. 6
become unexpected suc- after his semifinal oppo- become the seventh wom- the past quarter-century to Ons Jabeur, who leads the
cess stories. nent, Alexander Zverev, fell an in a row to triumph in win the French Open as its women's tour in clay-court
"The clay is a surface that and injured himself — and Paris without already hav- top seed (the others were wins this season. On Day 2,
gives a little bit more of a the unpredictability of the ing won one of the sport's Halep, Justine Henin in 2007, Krejcikova lost. On Day 3,
chance to everyone," said French Open truly does four most prestigious and 23-time Grand Slam four-time major champion
Francesca Schiavone, who seem to apply across the events, following Garbiñe champion Serena Williams and former No. 1 Naomi
was seeded 17th at the board. Muguruza (2016), Jelena in 2013 and 2015).There's Osaka departed. q

Former Giro champion Dumoulin to retire at end of season

Dumoulin announced Fri- al cyclist," Dumoulin wrote also was weighed down by
day that he will retire at the on Instagram. "Many times, the pressure to perform.
end of the season, saying and especially this year, it He said Friday he believed
the sacrifices he makes no has been a frustrating path, he could have gotten back
longer bring the results he at which my body felt tired to his "full potential on the
wants. and still does feel tired. As bike. But that would be a
Dumoulin's contract with soon as the load in training long and patient road, with
the Jumbo-Visma team or races gets higher, I suffer no guarantees of success.
ends at the conclusion of fatigue, aches, and injuries I choose not to take that
this season. The Dutch cy- instead of improving. The road, but to quit my active
clist returned to racing last effort in training did often cycling instead and to take
year, six months after tak- not lead to the desired per- a new and unknown path."
ing a break from the sport formances." Dumoulin will now decide
to consider his future fol- Dumoulin, a time-trial spe- with his team on a program
lowing a burn-out. cialist who also won stages for the remainder of the
The 31-year-old former in all three Grand Tours, season. He said he aims to
Netherland's Tom Dumoulin competes during stage 20 of the time-trial world champion claimed the 2017 Giro and compete at the road world
Tour de France cycling race, an individual time trial over 36.2
kilometers (22.5 miles), from Lure to La Planche des Belles Filles, has been through a disap- finished second in the Tour championships in Austra-
France, on Sept. 19, 2020. pointing year and aban- de France a year later. But lia later this year, with the
Associated Press doned his most recent he struggled with injuries in hope that he will be able
race, the Giro. recent seasons and said to "get the best out of (him-
By SAMUEL PETREQUIN BRUSSELS (AP) — Former "I decided that 2022 will be when he announced his self) in the time trial one last
AP Sports Writer Giro d'Italia champion Tom my last year as a profession- break from cycling that he time."q